To Write Love On Her Arms
by KaeSquared
Summary: Laughter isn't just the best medicine, it's also the best disguise. Just ask Gabriella. But everyone has their limit & she just may of reached hers. Enter Troy, who knows more than anyone that it does get better.   TxG
1. Crashing

**Disclaimer: **I am not affiliated with the HSM franchise in any way, shape or form. Nor do I own any rights to the non-profit organization _To Write Love On Her Arm_. They are merely an inspiration.

**A/N: **My, oh my, it's been a mighty long time. But today is something special and I've been feeling kind of blah lately so I was hoping that writing would lift my spirits a bit. Today (March 1st) is _**Self-Injury Awareness Day**_ so I'm just doing my part of reaching out and talking about it. The title of this is a reference to TWLOA, a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. www(DOT)twloha(DOT)com

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Your alarm rings and your body cries for you to fall back asleep. But you can't. If you want to be made up in time for school, this is the price you must pay. The bed creaks as you roll off of it and onto your feet with your hair sticking out in every direction. You come to stand in front of the mirror and examine your bare face.

It's another day of playing pretend.

Of hiding your true self from the world.

Of waiting till you break.

You run your hands through your locks as you drag yourself over to your adjourning bathroom. You wince as the bright lights momentarily blinds you. Maneuvering your hair out of the way, you bend over the porcelain sink and splash the icy water over your face.

Now your day has truly begun.

Finally, you reach for the nearest towel and pat your face dry. You finally look at yourself. It's another day and you still don't like what you see in the mirror. You slowly set down the towel and work at taming your hair. The task is nearly impossible but it's a necessary step to your day.

Once again, you catch glimpses of your reflection in the mirror.

You're getting there.

You almost look normal.

You take a moment to study your handiwork. You flash a fake smile, a test run for the rest of your day. It doesn't quite reach your eyes. Then again, it never really does.

You think that nobody sees through this masquerade. That everybody is oblivions to the pain you feel inside. And for the most part, they are because you are so trained in parading around with a mask. But there are those few that see the emptiness in your eyes and kept hushed. They believe that you are strong enough to take it.

Little do they know that the pressure to be perfect is eating you up inside. There is only so much you can take before you just give up.

It's just a matter of time.

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**A/N:** This is just an into. The rest of the chapters will be written in third person. I was going to post the story when I was done as a oneshot but I really wanted to publish it today for Self-Injury Awareness Day. I already had this part written up from one of my unfinished stories so I figured what the hell. More to come soon.

Thank you for reading and please review!

Much Love,  
Kae


	2. Breathe In, Breathe Out

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury), and suicide.

Thank you again to the lovely reviewers of the last chapter: _**bsh, pumpkinking5, Godschildweety, yogaluva, Bluebell140, and Y0uNMcK33**_! This one's dedicated to you all! XD

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It was just one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right. Her first period teacher decided to give the class a pop quiz on the chapter she hadn't had the energy to do the night before. She had two tests that day in her two hardest classes. Deprived of sleep from the night before, she fought to stay awake during her classes through out the day. Progress Reports would come out today, meaning that she would have to race home to make sure her mom won't receive the automated call from the school announcing its arrival. To top it all off, the weather just seemed rather gloomy with gray clouds scattered across the Albuquerque sky.

"Hey Gabriella."

The brunette lifted her head from her desk at the sound of her name and mustered up her best smile to the boy at her right. "Hey Troy," she greeted ever so softly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern graced his features as he took in her almost lifeless form.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, avoiding meeting his eyes as she sat up straighter in her desk and offered him another night. "I'm just tired from yesterday, is all."

"I know what you mean. I actually read for history and did the crazy amount of homework Mr. R. assigned. Then, my dad wanted me to practice some basketball drills."

A wave of guilt washed over her as she listened to him list all the work he had done last night- all of the work, minus the basketball practice, that she should of done last night. She had intended to do it too but she just lost all of her motivation. Yesterday was just one of those days that she felt tired and laid on her bed doing nothing.

"Look on the bright side," he said, drawing her attention back to him. "After the test, you can just put your head down and rest for a bit."

She tried to laugh a bit and busied her self with digging through her bag for a pencil. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

He offered her one of his charming smile. "So, you think you're ready for the test?"

"Not really, I never do good on these test."

He faked a gasp and smirked at her. "Gabriella Montez isn't good in something? Call the newspaper! This is breaking news!"

"Oh shut up," she scolded with a small smile. "You've seen my grades on the vocabulary quiz. Psychology is just not my thing."

"It's okay, there's like a billion and one things that you are good at," he assured her with another charming smile.

Before she could argue and explain to him that there really wasn't a billion and one things that she's good at, their AP Psychology teacher shushed them and begun to pass out their tests. A silence wrapped around the students as they try to remember everything their teacher taught them in the past two weeks.

Gabriella smiled - one of those rare, genuine ones - as Troy gave her two thumbs up for encouragement.

_Why does he have to be so damn perfect?_ She asked herself as she tried to refocus her attention to the test her teacher set in front of her. But as she looked at the words on the paper, her mind seemed to blank. She thought back to a time when she actually could take a test confidently.

_Before: _

"Hey, it's Gabriella, right?"

She looks up, only to come eye to eye with the most mesmerizing shade of blue that she has ever seen. The boy in front of her has turn around and now has captured her attention, as well as their surrounding classmates'. "Yeah, that's me," she says with a small smile. "You're Trevor, right?"

"Actually, it's Troy."

Her eyes widen to the size of saucers as she feels the heat rise to her cheeks. She suddenly feels so much more conscious and grips the bangles encaging her left wrist out of habit. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she says, squirming a bit in her seat.

"Relax," he says with an easy smile that makes her anything but calm. "It's okay. You got the first two letters right. That's better than nothing."

She lets out a weak laugh. "I guess you're right."

"Wouldn't be the first time," he jokes. "So, how do you like East High so far?"

"I love it!" she says with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. It wasn't a complete lie. The teachers were fairly kind and the students were bearable. But it all felt too good to be true. She has no doubt that soon or later, there will be something that goes wrong.

"That's always good to hear. Do you need help with catching up with any of the curriculum? I can imagine how tough it would be to start school three weeks later than everyone else."

"I think Ms. Montez should be offering you help," their math teacher Ms. Andrews says, suddenly appearing beside them with test papers in hand. "You received a B on your test, Gabriella. Not too bad for only two days of lessons."

Gabriella flips through the test and scolds herself for all the stupid mistakes she made. She could of done better than this. It was all review from last year. _I'm such an idiot._ She tells herself.

"Very impressive, Montez."

"Impressive indeed," agrees Ms. Andrews. "Principal Matsui informed that you were captain of your previous school's Decathlon Team. You led them all the way to states. Troy, isn't Taylor McKessie the captain of our team?"

"Yeah, I think she is. She's dating my best friend so I think I've heard them mention it a couple of times."

"That's perfect! Maybe you could introduce them?"

"No problem! I was going to ask Gabriella to join us at our lunch table, anyway."

"Excellent! She would be such a wonderful addition to the team!"

"I totally agree, Ms. A. Plus, Taylor will love to have another brainiac at the table."

"Hopefully, some of Gabriella's study habits will rub on you," Ms. Andrews says rather snidely as she hands Troy his test. "Mr. Bolton, you barely received a C minus. I expected better from you."

"Sorry, Ms. A. I'll do better next time. Promise!"

"You better. Son's couch or not, you have to maintain a certain grade point average."

"No worries, Ms. A. I've got this covered. Besides, I'll have Gabriella to help me out, right?"

Gabriella makes some sound of agreement without really acknowledging what he had said. In fact, she stopped paying attention the moment Ms. Andrews brought up her old school. She knows that she couldn't handle that pressure again. She will not go through that again.

She will surely break.

_Now:_

Gabriella had transitioned into life at East Hugh fairly well with Troy's helped. But prior to meeting his friends, she had offered to tutor him math in exchange for him not telling his friend Taylor about her academic. Ever the gentlemen, Troy agreed to not tell Taylor but insisted that instead of her tutoring him, they would just hang out. Of course, he had insisted that he just wanted to get to know her better.

Conversations between them were easy. It was random and light. But she'd shy away from anything too deep. Never would she reveal herself to him. But every time they'd talk, he would somehow make her heart flutter. Then he asked her out and she had to skillfully decline all three times that he did.

She didn't deserve him. Who would she be fooling? He was too good for her. They remained friends with no bad feelings towards each other. She had to repress any hint of jealousy when she heard any rumors of him and the opposite sex. On a few occasions, she even teased him a few times about it to encourage her feelings of getting over him. He only assured her that the rumors were just rumors and that he had only affections for one girl. She remembered the way her cheeks flushed at the insinuation.

But she reminded herself that she didn't deserve him.

She silently scolded herself for letting her mind wander as she glances back at the clock in the back of the room. Her heart sped up a bit as she realized that she now had 35 minutes to answer 50 questions. She let out a breath of her as she asked herself, "What did it matter?"

She knew that she would fail even if she had studied.

-TWLOHA-

"If I have to write another damn essay for Darbus's class, I'm going to kill myself."

The table erupted into laughter and agreements at Chad Danforth's statement- all except for Gabriella. She knew that he was joking but threats of suicide were not something she took lightly. She thought of the numerous times the same words had slipped from her mouth. She had said them with a smile at it was their turn to laugh. If only they had known that her threats were real and she was simply warning them.

"Gabs, you okay?"

The brunette turns to her right and musters up a smile for her friend. She was the classic example of an All-American girl, with her long, blonde locks and petite frame. Despite being rather materialistic and self-centered, she was talented. Sharpay Evans was going places and she was doing it her way.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gabriella said in her sickly sweet voice. "Did you do something different with your hair?"

"Finally someone notices!" Sharpay exclaimed as she fluffed her hair and smiled brightly. "Do you like it? I had it lightened just a bit."

"Shar, your hair always looks amazing!"

"Look, who's talking! You don't even go to the salon as often as I do and your hair looks so healthy!"

Gabriella assured herself that Sharpay was just being nice. Her hair was nothing to envy. Nothing about her was. Nevertheless, she smiled easily and turned to look around their group of friends around the table. They all had amazing potential. Among her were the next generation of bakers, actors, composers, NBA stars, and teachers. She could see their futures. Why couldn't she see her own?

"What's that?"

Gabriella tensed as she felt the bangles encaging her left forearm move from their spot. "I-It's nothing, she stuttered as she casually slid the bangles Sharpay moved back to their spot. "You know that I'm a klutz," she said with a forced laugh as her heart began to race.

"I'm not some blonde bimbo," Sharpay said as she gestured toward the brunette's wrist. "That doesn't look like an accident."

"Can you not speak so loud?" she scolds as she glances at their other friends, who are oblivious to their conversation.

"Gabriella, did you do that to yourself?"

"Stop looking at me like that."

"I'm just surprised. Are you okay? Why would you-"

"I'm fine," Gabriella said sharply as she yanked her arm out of her friend's grasp. "Please just stop asking. And stop looking at me like that."

"Should I worry about you?"

"I'm getting help."

"But those are still red," Sharpay argued as she glanced back at her arm. "They must be recent."

"Can we not discuss this now?"

Sharpay stared at her with disbelief before throwing her hands up in mock surrender. "Fine," she muttered before turning away.

Gabriella let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as returned to her lunch. She looked back down at her wrist and the bangles that were worn strategically to cover them. On one had, she had felt relieved that Sharpay had exposed her to all of their friends at this moment. But on the other, it hurt to know that she gave up so easily.

_I wouldn't waste my time on someone like me, either._ Gabriella told herself.

-TWLOHA-

The end of the day didn't come fast enough for Gabriella as she stood at her locker to gather her books for the night. She slipped her Psychology book into her oversized purse and tided her locker a bit before shutting it. She walked towards Troy's locker, as she did every day. Shortly after their first encounter, they found out that Troy drove past Gabriella's house everyday on his way to and from school. Troy had somehow convinced her that it was only reasonable that they ride to and from school together.

"Hey," she greeted softly as she approached his locker.

Troy glanced over his shoulder to shoot her a smile. "Hey Montez, how was the rest of your day?"

"Alright. Nothing interesting."

"Do you think you did good on that other test you had today?"

She groaned as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Please let's not talk about it. I just want to crawl it to bed and sleep."

He chuckled as he slammed his locker shut and fell into step with her. He threw a friendly arm around her shoulders and casually nodded to people they knew as they exited the school. The first that he had done this, Gabriella had been stiff. But now, she could lean comfortably into him without a second thought.

For those that didn't know, they looked like the perfect couple. The halls parted naturally as East High's most popular male student walked by with his arm around his girl's shoulder. They'd walk to the parking lot where Troy would open his car door for her and place her bag in the backseat.

Gabriella was very aware that Troy didn't treat every girl like he did her, It made her feel special but at the same time, she felt guilty. She hated that he was wasting his time on someone like her.

"Hey, what were you and Sharpay arguing about at lunch?"

Troy's sudden question had caught her of guard. Despite her better judgment, she turned to look at him with the best smile she could muster. "We weren't arguing. What are you talking about?"

"I don't know, you guys seemed really into it at lunch. I think I saw her grab your wrist at one point."

"She was complementing my bracelets, is all." The words had left her lips without a second though.

"But you always were those bracelets. I don't think I've ever seen you without them."

"Well, yeah. They're my favorite. I don't know. You know Sharpay. She doesn't alway notice the little things."

He chuckled as he pulled into her driveway. "I guess you're right. " Just as he was about to open his door, she stopped him by placing her hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have to walk me to the door. I tell you that everyday."

"And what do I always tell you?"

"That you enjoy doing it for me and that you aren't in any rush to go home," she recited, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Exactly," he said cheekily as he quickly made his way around to her side of the car. He grabbed her bag out of the backseat before he opened her door and helped her out. It wasn't until they reached her front door that he handed over her bag. "Will I see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Maybe you should just skip tomorrow," Troy said as he leaned against the doorframe as she searched for her key in her bag.

"Why would I do that?"

"You've been really out of it all week."

Gabriella froze for a minute and glanced up at him through her thick lashes. She was surprised that he had noticed. Had she slipped up and let him see past her mask? She ridded her mind of those thoughts and quickly stuck her key into the lock.

"I don't think you have any test. Seriously, take a day off Gabriella."

"I'll think about it, okay?" she said as she turned back to him.

"Sounds good. I'll call you in the morning to see what you decide," he said as he took a step forward to encase her in a goodbye hug. "Feel better, Gabs."

"Thanks Troy," she muttered into his chest as she relished in the feel of his arms around her. As always, she was the first to pull away.

Troy bent down to kiss her cheek before he jogged back to his car.

Gabriella watched as he pulled out of her driveway before she shut her front door. She trudged up the staircase, her steps echoing in the house. Once in the confines of her room, she shut the door and threw her bag on the floor. She let her exhausting take over as she changed into more comfortable clothing before collapsing onto her bed.

Outside her window, the day had transformed into night as she simply laid in bed. She had barely moved an inch since she arrived home. She felt exhausted but closing her eyes did nothing to lull her to sleep. Her day plays over in her mind as tears begin to stain her pillow.

She doesn't know what hurts more: the emptiness in her chest that echoed the silence of her house or knowing that her so-called "friend" didn't care enough to ask if she was truly hurting?

She just wanted it all to end.

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**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed that! I had to build a lot of background because obviously, this isn't the Troy and Gabriella we know from the movies. lol  
I'd love to know what you thought of all that's happened.

Thank you for reading and please review!

Much Love,  
Kae xx


	3. Get Free

Woot! Woot! Nearly ten review for the last chapter. Thank you again to: _**pumpkinking5, EP, Y0uNMcK33, Bluebell140, yogaluva, coolio1206, MissIndependentlyPerfect, and zan lil.  
**_I love seeing so many familiar names! I think all except two of you followed me from my story Entwined. =D Thank you also to those that have added it to your favorites list already. It means a lot to me.

_**

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**_

Despite her exhaustion, Gabriella was awake, It was nearly two in the morning and she laid in her bed, her big brown eyes starring up at the ceiling. She rolled over to her bedside table and flicked the lamp on. Digging into her side table, she retrieved her trusty blade. She laid it down beside her as she slid her bangles towards her wrist. The inch of skin that was hidden by golden bangles was significantly darker than the rest.

In the dimness of her bedroom, she could see the scars clear as day. It had become a habit in the last two years that she started doing this. No body expects the perky, brainy girl to cut, so why would they ever look at her wrist? It's funny how a few thin rounds of gold was the difference between her being the perfect person she was thought to be and her being the broken person that she was.

She picked up the blade and pressed its tip against the already marred flesh. With an even pressure, she dragged it against the width of her forearm as her hand made a fist to tense the muscles there.

Blood seeped through the broken skin in little drops. It was a rather shallow cut but it served its purpose. She let out a deep breath before throwing her blanket off of her and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She didn't have to worry about anybody discovering her secret, so she simply placed her razor on her side table.

Silence. It was a hideous thing that filled her house. As she crept down the hallway in her sweatpants and T-shirt, she became aware of how bare the house really was. No pictures hung from the white walls. Frivolous decor didn't litter every corner. She has seen model homes with more personality than the Montez house. It wasn't always like this. There was a time when the warmth among the Montez family radiated off of the walls.

_Before:_

Gabriella is in her room with the music on full blast as she changes out of her cheerleading uniform and into a bathing suit. Her school won and as captain, she invited the girls on the squad and the guys on the basketball team for a impromptu pool party and barbecue. She looks in the mirror and smiles. At 13 years of age, Gabriella Montez had it all. She was popular, smart, and beautiful.

A knock on her door interrupts the pop music bouncing off the walls. She reaches for her stereo's remote and lowers the music. "Yes?" she calls out through the door.

"Gabs, are you done?"

"Just a minute," she says as she shimmies into her swim shorts.

"Okay, but hurry up. I want to see what you look like in your new swim suit."

"What do you think?" she asks as she opens the door to revel her mother.

Her mother's beautiful, a mirror copy of herself. They share the same, high cheekbones and dark, curly hair. She's a slim woman with just the right amount of curves.

"It looks great on you! I'm so glad it fits!"

"Thank you again for getting it for me," she says as she moves out of the way to let her mother into the room. Her mother was a flight attendant and recently came back from California. "Will you help me put up my hair?"

"Of course, sweetie. How do you want it?"

"A french braid is good so I won't look like a fur ball later."

Mother and daughter share a laugh as they sit in front of her vanity. Gabriella looks up at her mother with admiration. She hopes that she'll grow up to be just like her.

The doorbell rings and she hears her father call up the stairs. "Gabs, your friends are here!"

"Can you braid a little faster, mom? I need to get down there before he scares away all of my friends."

"He won't..."

Her mother trails off as 80's music fills the home.

She meets her mother's wide eyes through the mirror. She arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "What were you going to say?" she asks with a smirk.

"I'm braiding as fast as I can," her mother says with a slight laugh.

Gabriella grins. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome sweetheart. I love you," she says, pressing a kiss to her daughter hair.

"Love you too mom."

_Now:_

Gabriella nearly tripped going down the stairs. If it had been any other time, she would of laughed at her clumsiness. But she doesn't have the energy. The moon pours in from the open window in the front room. Spying her keys hanging from the key rack in the kitchen, she decided that she just needed to get out of the house.

After she slipped on a pair of sneaker, she got into her car and just drove into the open road. She had no destination in mind. Since she moved to Albuquerque six months ago, there weren't many times that she drove to places. She could count the places she's driven to herself on one hand. For the majority of her time here, Troy had driven her to places to meet their friends. To that, she had no objection.

It was late at night and there were barely a car in sight for miles. She took a deep breath and thought about turning the car around and heading back home. A bitter laugh slipped from her lips.

_Home?_ She asked herself. The four walls and roof that she lived under did not make a home. It made a rather comfortable living space, but it was all too big for two people. Technically, it was too big for one person, considering that Gabriella's mother was away for the majority of the month.

Just as she was about to transfer lanes, a car zoomed pass her. She nearly screamed as she took even breaths to calm her racing pulse. That was the part that she hated about driving. How easy would it be to collide with another car! But then she stiffened as a thought crossed her mind. What if she got into an accident and had died?

_No one would miss me._ She concluded as she switched lanes and prepared herself to make a U-turn.

Troy might miss her but he would get over it. There would be someone pretty and popular girl that would come along- someone who deserved his attention. As for her friends, their lives would go on. Yes, they were close but they didn't know the true her. They knew the Gabriella on the surface. The one who would smile and laugh at their jokes. She was always the one that cheered them up between break ups and boosted their egos when they felt down. They would be okay without her.

Gabriella glanced at the rosary that her mother hung there when she gave her this car. It was for protection, her mother claimed. She found it ironic that her mother would think about such a thing when she never seemed to think about her safety when she was gone for days at a time. A part of her wonders how long it would before her mother noticed her absence. Then she realized that, by then, it wouldn't matter to her anymore.

Her life could be over with. There would be no more pain, no more emptiness and no more pretending.

It was a rather enticing temptation.

She looked into the rearview mirror to look once more at her reflection. It was then that she noticed the tears screaming down her face, illuminated by the streetlights. A moment later, she could taste the saltiness on her lips. She shifted her focus to the island in the middle of the lanes. Despite the emptiness of the streets, she turned on her left signal.

Gabriella closed her eyes and took a deep breath as her hands tightened on the steering wheel. When she opened her brown eyes, she felt as if the answer was right in front of her this whole time. She felt disconnected from herself. This wasn't the nervous preteen that got behind the wheel for the first time. This was Gabriella Montez, who at 17-years-old was unsatisfied with herself and who she had become.

She would free herself from this suffering, if it was the last thing she'd do.

She was giving up.

After choosing a target, she hired the volume of the radio to full blast. For so long, she had lived in silence. She wasn't going to go with it. Her petite hands tighten their grip on the steering wheel. With one last look of her tearstained face in the mirror, she pressed her bare foot on the gas with all her might.

This was the end.

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_**A/N:**_ Before you ask: No, this isn't the real end of the story. lol But I hope you enjoyed that. I'm not feeling too well, so I apologize for the shortness and any errors you find.

Thank you for reading and please review!

Much Love,  
Kae xx

Anonymous Reviews Reply:

to _**EP**_: As I mentioned above, it's always great to see a familiar name. Thank you so much for checking out my new story! lol I'm always happy to hear that I've been missed. Believe me, I've never realized how much I missed writing for you all. =)

to _**Y0uNMcK33**_: Lol I loved how you said that you never liked the Troyella in the movie. I will admit that their sweetness was a bit too much and unrealistic at time. Thank you for the review and I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Heaven

Thank you again for all the sweet reviews from: _**Bluebell140, AlamancexGurl, zan lil, MissIndependentlyPerfect, yogaluva, coolio120, and xMexWithoutxYoux.**_

_**A special dedication to **__**pumpkinking5**__** for helping me out and helping me decide what direction to take this story. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're so encouraging!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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Less than five miles away from Gabriella's crash site, Troy Bolton slept soundly in his bed. Sweet dreams filled his subconscious as his body recharged from the day. For once, he didn't have to take any sleeping aids to lull him to sleep. His body gave in to the day's wear and tear of school and long hours of basketball practice. By no means was Troy a deep sleeper so when his cell phone rang at a quarter past two, he reflexively reached out for it on his nightstand.

"Hello?" he groaned into the receiver, his eyes still shut.

"Troy?"

"Gabriella? What's wrong?" he asked, not believing that this was the petite brunette that he has grown so fond of. When she didn't respond at once, a small knot in the pit of his stomach began to form. It wasn't like Gabriella to call him, especially not at two in the morning. "Gabriella, are you still there?"

"I'm sorry for waking you up."

Troy grew more and more worried with each passing second she didn't speak. He sat up in his bed, fully prepared to drive over to her house to speak to her in person. "Don't be sorry. Just tell me what's up," he pleaded.

"I-I got into a car crash," she stuttered through the phone.

He closed his eyes for the briefest second and was able to imagine how scared she must be. "Shit, Gabs. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. There was a rescue unit here so they checked me out. I walked away without even a scratch. My car, on the other hand, is far from that."

"Where are you? I'll come and get you," he said as he hastily pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed his keys. He listened as she described where she was and mentally calculated what the best route was. "I'll be there in five minutes," he said, opening the back door into his room and running through his backyard.

The roads were the emptiest he had ever seen them. He had to use all the will power he had so that he wouldn't go over the speed limit and run every red light there was. Just as he turned onto the street Gabriella mentioned, his heart calmed a bit as he easily spotted the flashing sheriff's car.

After he made a U-turn at the median, he pulled off of the road and parked beside the cop car. He turned off his truck's engine and immediately spotted the sheriff that was stepping out of her car.

"Good evening ma'am. I'm Troy Bolton," he said as he stuck his hand out for the sheriff to shake. His blue eyes shifted to the car she exited and easily spotted Gabriella sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Gabriella Montez's boyfriend?"

He thought about correcting her assumption but decided against it. He nodded and asked, "Could you tell me what happened?" He tried to find Gabriella's car but he couldn't remember what it looked like.

"It would appear that your girlfriend was approaching a tree at a high rate of speed." The sheriff pointed north and shone her flashlight at a small vehicle lodged between shrubs.

He scoffed. "You make it sound like she was trying to commit suicide. Besides, I don't even see a tree there."

The sheriff was a middle-aged woman that was a head shorter than him. Much to Troy's delight, she seemed to have a kind face. She turned off her flashlight and looked at him sadly. "That's because the impact snapped the tree in two. I'm not trying to make any assumptions but in my experience, accidents like this don't just happen on their own. But Gabriella looks like she has a good head on her shoulders so I gave her the benefit of doubt and asked her what happened. She claimed that she got into a big argument with her boyfriend and she just wasn't all together."

"Yeah, we fought not too long ago," he lied once more, still trying to comprehend what the sheriff had assumed about the situation. "She was probably just coming to see me and reached over to change the radio station, when she lost control of the car. I think it's been awhile since she's actually driven. I usually drive her everywhere."

"That's what she told me. Normally, I'd insist to speak to a parent or guardian but she said that her mother was out of town."

"Her mother's a flight attendant so I wouldn't be that surprised," he said, remembering the many time Gabriella had brought it up.

"And her father?"

"I don't think he's in the picture anymore."

"I see," the sheriff said, still looking unconvinced. Despite her apprehension, she pulled out her notepad from her back pocket. "Well, in that case, I'll have to hand her over to you. She seems really shaken up at the moment so I didn't ask her for all her information," she said as she pulled out her pen. "Do you mind answering a few questions for me?"

"Honestly ma'am, we've known each other for awhile but she doesn't like to disclose personal information," he said, being the most truthful he'd been all night. But I can sure try."

"That'll have to do," she said with a slight sigh.

Troy could of sworn that he hear the sheriff mutter something about teenagers but disregarded. Besides, who was he to argue against a member of the law? "Before I answer your questions, ma'am, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not at all. Go ahead."

"How did you get my number?"

"I found it in her glove compartment when I was looking for her registration papers."

Despite the craziness of the situation, he smiled as he remembered the day he had put it in there. It was back when she used to be more relaxed around everyone. She'd smile more and laugh willingly. In those days, he could still see a spark in her chocolate-colored eyes.

_Before:_

"I can't believe I sat through two hours of that!" Gabriella exclaims with a slight laugh as she leads her friends out of the movie theatre. They had just seen the latest romantic comedy as they enjoyed their Saturday afternoon. Gabriella has been apart of their little group of friends for two months now but it feels as if they've known each other longer.

"But it was so cute!" Sharpay argues as the ever-quiet Kelsi nods in agreement.

"And the guy was so romantic!" Taylor says enthusiastically. "Did you see the way he made it up to the girl?"

"That was so cheesy!" Gabriella says, shaking her head in disapproval. "If a guy came up to me and did that to me, I would have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. We should have seen that action movie instead."

"That's my type of girl." Chad says, smirking at the rest of the guys as they watch the girls talking animatedly in front of them.

Troy rolls his eyes and playfully punches Chad in the shoulder. "Lay off man. You've got a girl."

"In other words, Troy's marking his claim," Jason teases as he pops in between Troy and Chad. "I don't blame you man. She's hot as hell."

The blue-eyed boy shrugs off his friend's hand and jogs towards the girl while giving his guy friends the middle finger. He waits till Gabriella's a good enough distance away from the group of girls before he slips his arms around her waist and places his chin on her shoulder. He can't help but laugh as she lets out a shriek.

"What are you doing?" she manages to ask between her laughter.

Troy doesn't answer. He merely forces her to look down and spins them in a circle. It makes him dizzy and he's sure that she's starting to feel it too but he doesn't want to let her go. Her laughter fills the air and he never wanted that to stop. When he finally brings them to a stop, he doesn't let go of her at once.

"I am so dizzy," she says as she tries to walk them forward.

It's only then that he realizes that Gabriella's hand was resting tightly over his around her waist. "But that was a hell of a lot of fun," he says with a grin as he tightens his grip on her. "I think we should do it again."

"Troy, if you-" Her scolding is cut off as he begins to spin them around once more. "We're going to bump into other people," she tries to reason, despite her laughter.

"I think they'll avoid walking into the spinning teenagers."

"This is so embarrassing!"

"But you're still laughing," he says, turning her around in his arms when they finally stop.

"I think I'm going to fall over. I'm so dizzy," she says despite her smile.

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm holding you up."

Gabriella blushes and pulls away to catch up to the friends in front of them. She wobbles a bit and shoots a shy smile at him over her shoulder.

He laughs a bit at himself and chases after them. He casually slips between Sharpay and Gabriella, slipping his arms around each of their shoulders. "So ladies and gents," he begins as he glances at the guys, "where to next?"

"I don't know about you guys but I've got a shit load of homework waiting for me at home," Chad complains.

Taylor looks at her boyfriend oddly. "And you're actually planning on doing it?"

"It depends. Are you willing to help your boyfriend out?" he says, slipping his arm around his girl and kissing her cheek.

She rolls her eyes and snuggles into her boyfriend. "I guess that I'm headed to Chad's house. We'll see you guys Monday!" The couple waves before walking away from the group.

"And then there were five."

"Actually, it's two," Jason says as they come to a halt in the middle of the parking lot. "Kelsi's parents were expecting me to drop Sharpay and Kelsi off half an hour ago. I'm surprised that they haven't called."

Kelsi laughs nervously. "Yeah, I conveniently left my phone on silent after the movie."

"Oh you daredevil," Sharpay teases as she slips out from under Troy's arm.

"Shut up," the brunette mutters as she shyly pushes up her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Watch it blondie," Jason says as he shoots Sharpay a glare, "or you'll be walking home."

Troy and Gabriella exchange a look as they suppress their laughter.

"On that note," Troy says as he starts to turn his and Gabriella's body away, "we're going to leave you guys to your bickering. I'd also watch my back if I were you, Jason. Sharpay can get feisty."

"Drive safely," Gabriella says cheekily as they walk towards their cars.

"Where'd you park Montez?"

"Over there," she says pointing to a few cars down. "You?"

"I think I'm a row over."

"You think?" she asks amusedly.

He looks away, slightly embarrassed by his admittance. "I usually remember the general location of my truck but it takes me awhile to actually find it."

"Well, I guess I should let you go find it so you aren't out here all night."

He shakes his head as he keeps walking in step with her and gives her shoulder a squeeze. "I've got time to kill."

She just glances up at him briefly and smiles as they walk the next few feet to his car.

"You know, since we're practically neighbors, we should just carpool next time we all go out together. You know, to save the environment," he adds the later sentence rather hastily and looks away.

"I never knew you were such a tree-huger. First the carpooling for school and now this," she teases with a small smile.

He laughs nervously. "That's me. I love this planet. Don't you?"

She nods as she slips from beneath his arm and turns to face him as they finally reach her car. "Since I do love this planet, I'll keep that in mind before our next group outing."

"Wonderful. Wait. Do you even have my number?"

"I think I do."

"No worries, I'll write it down for you just in case," he says as he grins mischievously at her and reaches for his back pocket.

She looks at him peculiarly as she glances at the blue notebook paper in his hand. "Do you always have a notepad handy?"

"Complete with a red sharpie," he says with a nod and waving the red marker in the air. He scribbles down his number and tears it out. "Now, unlock your jeep."

"Why?" she says, raising an eyebrow in suspicion but unlocking her jeep anyways. "What are you doing?' she asks him as he walks over to open the passenger side of her vehicle.

He comes back a moment later and slips his notepad and marker into his back pocket. "Just making sure that you don't accidently throw out my number or anything like that. It's in your glove compartment for safe keeping," he says with a wide grin.

"You're so weird," she mutters and rolls her eyes playfully.

"I think that's one of my better qualities. You'll learn to love it, hate it, and eventually ignore it as you get to know me longer."

"Oh joy," she says in mock sarcasm. They simply just stand there for a bit, neither of them wanting to walk away. Gabriella realizes the shift in the atmosphere and she feels the heat rise to her cheeks. "I should get going," she says finally.

"Yeah, me too," he says as he reaches a hand to scratch the back of his neck. He sticks his hand out as if to shake her hand but then just laughs. He engulfs her in a hug before she gets a chance to walk away. He can't wipe the smile off of his face and he can only hope that she feels the same way.

_Now:_

Troy walked over to the passenger's side of the police car. He gently opened the door, as to not startle the brunette starring off into the distance. Her hands were perched in her lap as she kept her head straight. If she noticed the door open, she made no acknowledgment of it.

"Gabriella," he said softly as he ducked his head into the car. "The officer said that I can take you home now. She found the registration in the glove compartment so she'll take care of the car. I told her that I'll drop off your license after school so that they can register it."

He was met with no response as she stayed perfectly still.

"She's letting you off with just a warning."

After being met with silence once more, he crouched down beside her and placed his hand over hers. He squeezed her hands gently and said, "C'mon Gabs, let's get out of here."

Gabriella pulled away from him as if his touch burned but finally turned to face him. A chill ran down Troy's back as he took in her blank expression. She didn't look frighten nor tearful. With her eyes wide open and her body tense, she looked as if she was the living dead.

Ever the gentlemen, Troy offered to help her out of the car but she refused. She took slow and deliberate steps as she trailed behind him to his car. As always, he opened her door and made sure she was in before jogging over to the driver's side. He waved at the sheriff as he got into his truck. He glanced sideways to see that Gabriella was already buckled in with her head straight and her hands folded in her lap.

Not knowing what to say, he simply turned on the radio and drove in silence. He pulled up to her house as he did no more than 12 hours ago and then made his way to her door side. By the time he reached her, she already had the door opened and her body facing the dark house.

"Is everything alright?" he asked as he came to a stop in front of her. He mentally scolded himself for asking such a question when she was the furthest thing from being alright.

Gabriella opened and closed her mouth several times before she could speak. When she did, it was a voice that didn't sound the slightest bit familiar. "I don't want to be here," she said in a voice as hollow as her eyes.

There was something about her tone that frightened Troy. He wasn't quite sure what she was referring to. Did she mean 'here' as in her house? Or did she mean that she didn't want to be here with him, still alive? He couldn't wrap his head around it so he simply nodded and shut her passenger door.

He glanced up at the Montez house before he got back behind the wheel. It looked as empty as he knew it to be. Not a light shined from within, giving it an abandoned feel. He wouldn't blame for not wanting to return to a place like this. He certainly hadn't enjoyed coming home to an empty house day after day.

-TWLOHA-

"Take these."

Gabriella looked up from where her eyes were trained on the floor and up at the blue-eyed boy that stood in front of her. In one hand was a glass of cold water and in the other, were two white pills. Her eyes shifted between him and the unfamiliar substance.

"I promise you, I'm not drugging you or anything like that," he said as he brought closer to her reach. "It's melatonin, this hormone that'll help induce your sleepiness. After tonight, I think you just need to sleep."

She hesitantly takes the two pills from his palm and then reached for the glass. She swallowed the pills one by one and chased them down with gulps of water. She handed him what was left of the glass of water and watched as he crossed the room to set in on his desk.

"Go ahead and take your shoes off and make yourself comfortable," he said as he double-checked the lock on his bedroom door.

She did as she was told and slipped off her sneakers before climbing between his sheets. She watched him as he walked over to his backdoor that entered his house through and shut the blinds. She didn't want to think about what she had just done or rather, what she had failed at doing so she simply closed her eyes as she waited for the effects of the sleeping aids to set in. She heard the shuffling on the other side of Troy's bed and half expected to feel his weight shift her from her spot.

When she didn't feel anything, she rolled over and saw that he had been setting up a sleeping spot on the floor. "You don't have to," she found herself saying before she gave it another thought.

Troy looked up at her startled, as if he forgot that there was another person in the room. "What did you say?"

She took a deep breath and turned down the sheets on the other side of the bed. She was nervous about looking at him as she spoke, so she focused her attention to the bed. "I said that you didn't have to. As in, there's room for you on the bed. I don't want to completely ruin your night."

From the corner of her eyes, she saw him rise from the floor and pick up his pillow.

"Gabriella, you didn't ruin my night," he said as he slipped in beside her.

Her body tensed from their proximity and her eyes drifted shut before they could meet. She turned back around, feeling his eyes on her the whole time. She was sure that he was judging her and he would never be able to look at her the same way again.

Despite how much she fought, she could feel the tears build up. Instinctively, she hugged her knees to her chest and cried silently. The bed shifted, not that she noticed. She didn't fight as he gathered her into his arms. She clung to him and relished in the fact that for once, she wasn't alone. Her crying spell didn't last long and when they subsided, she started to pull away with every intention to apologize.

Troy held her firmly to him. He tucked her head under his chin and rubbed soothing circles on her back. His heart ached as he remembered her exhaustion in the preceding weeks, the hollowness in her laughter and her forced smiles. This had begun to feel all too familiar for him.

He had shifted them so that they could lie comfortably on his bed, his arms still locked around her. She laid her head against his chest with her arm coming to rest over his midsection. He gently stroked her dark hair.

"Gabriella?" he called quietly, unsure if she had drifted to sleep.

"Hmm?" came her weak reply. She was still awake but she didn't have the energy to reply.

"I'm really glad that you're still here tonight."

She gripped the fabric of his T-shirt as she tried and failed to stop the tears from falling once again.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt wanted.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ I hope you enjoyed that. I (unfortunately) have to take the SAT tomorrow morning so I figured that I'd write another chapter to help me relax. I know I said that I was changing the rating to M but then I changed my mind again and decided that it really wasn't necessary. Lol I just confuse myself sometimes. I'd love to hear your thoughts about their possibly developing relationship!

Thank you for reading and please review!  
Much Love,

Kae xx


	5. Today Is the Day

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

I appreciate all the story alerts and the adding of _TWLOHA_ on to favorite stories but I'm espessically thankful for my reviewers. =) Thank you, again, for all the sweet reviews from: _**coolio1260, pumpkinking5, EP, MissIndependentlyPerfect, Bluebell140, AlamancexGurl, yogaluva, and Clembo29.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

"You're going to be late!"

Gabriella buried her face into the pillow beneath her as she tried to block out the sound of someone knocking on wood. Her body tensed as she felt an arm tighten around her waist and heard grumbling from behind. The harder she tried to pull away, the tighter she was held. When she stopped resisting, she turned in his arm slowly to see his peaceful face. She hesitantly lifted her hand to sweep his bangs out of his eyes.

"Good morning," he mumbled, making her withdraw her hand quickly.

"H-how long have you been awake?" she stuttered as her cheeks warmed at the thought of him holding her tighter as she pulled away.

"Not too long. How did you sleep?"

Before she got a chance to speak, another knock sounded on his door. She stiffened in his arms, her dark brown eyes becoming the size of saucers.

"Troy," they heard through the door, "are you up? It's almost time for you to leave?"

"Be out in a minute," he yelled, as he remained completely calm and locked eyes with her. "I'm just running late."

"Okay, in that case, I'll fix something for you to eat on the way there."

"Thanks mom!"

The minute he called out his thanks, Gabriella frantically slipped out of his arms and rolled out of bed. She spun around in a circle as she tried to locate her shoes.

"Where do you think you're going?" Troy asked as he casually rolled out of bed and stretched like he did every morning.

"School," she said as she slipped on her shoes from the night before. "Get ready faster. We need to swing by my house before we go to school."

"You're not going to school."

"Excuse me?" she snapped as she spun around, only to come face to face to him.

"Gabriella, you were in a car crash lest than 6 hours ago," he said in an exasperated tone. "You need to rest."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and took a step back, only to bump into his dresser. "I got checked out last night. If there was something wrong, then I would of been brought to the hospital."

"You drove your car into a tree!" he screamed, startling her with not only his tone but with his understanding of her situation.

"It wasn't intentional!"

"Then why did you feel the need to lie about why you were on the road at that hour?"

Gabriella remained stunned as she tried to fabricate a reason. She felt her heartbeat race and her palms began to sweat. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she leant back onto his dresser for support. She was beginning to think that it was a mistake to call Troy.

"Son, who are you talking to?" a maternal voice said through the door, but they made no effort move. Only when his mother repeatedly knock did he turn away from her. "Troy, open the door this instance!"

"Sorry, ma," he apologized as he slipped out of his door and closed it behind him.

"Why are you still in your pajamas?"

"Can you lower your voice?"

"Lower my voice? Why would I do that?"

The brunette's head snapped up as she heard his request. Despite her better judgment, she inched closer to the door to hear the conversation between mother and son.

"Please, mom, just lower your voice. I'll explain," he pleaded.

"Troy Alexander Bolton, start explaining things to me now."

"My friend got into an accident last night and she's staying in my room."

"She? You snuck a girl into your room and she spent the night?"

"Mom, it's Gabriella."

"The girl you were telling me about the other day?"

"Yeah, that one."

"You said that she was in an accident last night. Is she okay? What happened?"

"She drove into a tree and-"

"She drove into a tree? Oh my goodness! Where is this girl's mother?"

"Ms. Montez is out of town. She's a flight attendant, remember?"

"I think I should have a word with her when she gets back."

"No, mom. You can't get involved."

"Troy, she needs help. From what you've told me about her, I can't just standby and do nothing."

"Please, let me handle this."

"Sweetheart, I know you want to help but-"

"No, mom. I need to do this. I need to do what none of my friends did for me. She needs to know that someone cares."

If Gabriella had heard Troy's admission, she might have started of crying right in the middle of his room. But she wasn't listening on the other side of the door. The moment she heard Mrs. Bolton mention Troy talking about her, she backed away from the door and made a dash for Troy's backdoor. She didn't want to know what he had been telling his mother about her.

She did what she always did.

She ran.

-TWLOHA-

Impulsive. It was a terrible flaw of hers. Sometimes she just didn't give things a second thought and gave into her urges. That's why Gabriella stood on her balcony with a paper towel pressed to her inner forearm. It was the first thing she did after she sprinted through her neighbor's yards and to her house. She hadn't intended it for it to be that deep but she had little control of her actions at that point.

Never had she felt so lost.

She had failed last night. Perhaps that's what disturbed her the most. There were many things that she had failed at during the past couple of year. Time management for club activities. Projects for school. Math and Science Lessons. Being the perfect daughter and student. All she had to do was drive her car into a tree. How hard was that? But she still had failed.

Gabriella walked back to her room and sat on her bed. She placed the towel she had pressed to her wrist onto her side table, next to her blade. With much difficulty, she slid her bangles off one-by-one and also discarded it on to her side table. She examined her marred forearm as she lay down on her bed. Running two fingers across the top of her forearm, she could feel the divot that her bangles created in the muscles there from the countless time she forced them towards her elbow to cover her cuts. It disgusted her that the muscles in her forearm felt deformed and that the bottom third of her arm, just before her prominent wrist bone, was lighter than the rest of her body.

Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to clear her mind.

From inside the confines of her room, she heard the rustling of leaves and branches snapping. She didn't care that an intruder could be entering house right now. If anything, she had hope that they would do what she failed at.

"I didn't think you would run."

Her body went ridged as she heard the familiar voice. The possibility of _him_ standing less than two feet from her frightened her.

_He's not really here._ She tried to convince herself.

"I mean, you literally ran. By the time I noticed that you were gone, I couldn't find you walking along the streets."

Gabriella took several deep breaths before she had the courage to sit up. She remained stiff as she became highly self-conscious at the fact that her wrist was exposed to his prying eyes. Her eyes locked with his for only a second before she adverted them her feet dangling inches about her floor. "W-what are you doing here?" she managed to spit out.

"Basketball practice," he said sarcastically as he plops down beside her. "I came to see you. Why else would be here?"

"To annoy the hell out of me," she muttered as she hopped off of her bed and walking towards the railing of her balcony. She knew that she should have offered him some explanation for her presence but she just doesn't feel like talking. "I'm fine. I'm sorry that you came over here for no reason."

"You're obviously still in shock or something. This isn't a normal reaction!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly like everyone else," she said nonchalantly.

"Noted," Troy said as he positioned himself beside her. "I meant what I said last night. I'm glad that you're still here. I don't know what I would of done if something happened to you."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic!" she scolded as she turned to face him. "You're Troy Bolton. Your world would of kept turning."

"What's that suppose to mean?" he asked and took a defensive stance. "Do you really underestimate your role in my life?"

"Stop it! Stop pretending that I have sort of impact on your life! You would be so much better without me."

He looked taken a back for a minute by her outburst. "Do you really believe that?"

"Please, just leave. Thank you for everything that you did for me last night but please just leave me alone."

"Is that really what you want? To be in this huge ass house _alone_? Especially after last night, the last thing you need is to be alone."

"Last night was nothing," she said before taking a step back from the railing and towards her balcony doors. "No offense Troy, but you don't know what I need." Just as she was about to lock him out, he had caught her left wrist in his grip. Her eyes widened as she looked down and saw that his hand was enclosed just centimeters away from her fresh cut. "Let go of me," she gritted through her teeth as she tried to pull away.

"You're an only child, right?"

Her heat pounded furiously against her chest but she paid no mind to it. She nodded slowly, confused by his sudden calmness, and tilted her head in his direction to look at him peculiarly. She quickly realized that he wasn't even looking at her, so she reiterated her response in a soft voice. Troy had his back to her but his arm was bent slightly backwards to keep her from moving away from.

Gabriella tried to pry his hands off of her wrist but his grasp remained firm. She gave up and walked closer to him, noticing the way his grip loosened slightly with each step she took. Now standing side-by-side, his hand remained around her wrist but he was no longer holding her against her will. She hardly noticed as she was preoccupied by the distant look in his eye as he stared straight ahead. She had never seen him this serious before. The Troy Bolton she knew was the jokester, who always wore a charming smile.

"Doesn't it suck? I hate how the house is so quiet now."

"Now?" she echoed, confused by his word choice.

"I wasn't always an only child," he said after what felt like hours to her. "My sister passed away in August of Sophomore Year. She was just barely 10-years-old." He chuckled a bit to himself before turning to her. "You know what's funny? Krystina was 10.11 pounds when she was born and when she died, she was 10-years-old and 11 days."

From the moment their eyes met, her mouth seemed to have dried. Maybe it was the glare of the mid-morning sun but his blue-eyes seemed a bit glossy. Seeing him serious was one thing but seeing him so vulnerable was another. She found it hard to breathe, let alone speak. How does one respond to such a revelation?

"Troy," she begun softly as she placed her free hand on his arm, "I am so sorry. I had no idea that you even had a sister."

"Don't be sorry, it's not like it was your fault. You didn't even know me back then. Besides, it was her time."

"Do you really believe that? She barely lived." As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Her apology was cut short as he placed a hand of hers on his arm.

"Gabriella," he said, matching her tone, "you're entitled to your opinion. Yes, she was young but you don't know the whole story. Krystina had been sick for a very long time. She was born a very healthy and bubbly baby but when she was 1-years-old, she had a liver transplant. Everything was just up and down from then on. Name a holiday and we probably spent it at least once in the hospital."

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been on you and your family. Your sister especially."

"Yeah, it sure ass hell wasn't easy. That's why I like to think that it was her time to stop suffering. She never complained about her illness- whether it was chemotherapy or dialysis for her kidneys. Her veins in her arms were so bruised from the many times that they had drawn blood. I can still hear how she'd cry and scream when they'd poke her with the needle. She never fought against them but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. In the end, there was only so much that her body could take."

There it was again. That guilt that had built up inside of her was now at its all time high. How could she act so selfish when there are people like Troy's sister that are truly suffering? She felt like crying now, but knew that it was out of the question in Troy's presence. "She sounds like such an amazing person," Gabriella finally managed to get out.

"She definitely was," he said grinning and affectionately squeezing the top of her hand. "I was a wimp compared to her. That was one reason among the many that I felt so guilty sometimes. I wasn't the best brother that I could be."

"I'm sure that you tried your best."

"No, that honestly wasn't my best. That's what I regret the most," he said as he adjusted the hand that held her marred forearm, causing her to tense again. "I'll show you mine one of these days."

Before she question what he was referring to, Troy flipped over her left arm. His grip was firm, as if warning her that it would be useless to try and pull away. He pulled a red marker from his back pocket and uncapped it using his teeth. His fingers resting against her forearm brushed against the blood red cut.

By that time, she was completely petrified. Her eyes remained fixed on his calm facial expressions. The red cap of the marker remained perched between his teeth and his eyes met hers briefly before pointing downward. Questions filled her mind, but she found it hard to speak once again. She felt the soft tip of the marker against her wrist. Despite the soreness that surrounded the cut, whatever he did to her wrist didn't hurt in the slightest.

With the marker still in hand, he retrieved its cap from between his teeth. He bent down and blew against the inside of her wrist before placing a light kiss on it. He drops her wrist and met her gaze. "Gabriella," he said softly, "it does get better. Please remember that you're not alone." He dropped a kiss on her cheek and then begun to climb over the balcony's railing.

Gabriella remained frozen in her spot as she watched him maneuver himself down the branches of the tree. Some part of her thought it was a dream. It definitely didn't feel real to her. But then she looks down at her naked forearm. There- over her thin lines of release -was the word LOVE written in all caps.

Who could blame her for being just as confused as ever?

* * *

_**A/N:**_ I know, it's kind of a short chapter. But, I felt that it was appropriate to end it here. I'm a bit late with the update but what started as a sore throat earlier in the week, turned into a full-blown cold. It was terrible. Especially when I still went to school. But it's whatever. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Yes, that was a reference to the title but that doesn't mean this story's almost over. It's far from it, actually. We're forgetting that they are in high school and in high school, there's a tendency for drama among friends. =)

Thank you for reading and please review!

Much Love,

Kae xx

_**Anonymous Review Reply:**_

_**to EP:**_I'm so glad that you loved everything about the last chapter and thought it was nicely written. =) lol the scene where he spun them around in public was inspired by my friend. He spun me around in the middle of class and it was sooooo embarrassing! =P Thank you for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx


	6. Vanity

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

Thank you, again, for all the sweet reviews from: **Bluebell140, AlamancexGurl, yogaluva, pumpkinking5, Bridget1297, Y0uNMcK33, coolio1260, zacefanno1, Ice, JiLLiAN2548, and oxtwilightsmxo.**

_**A/N:**_So I'm going to leave my Author's Note at the top this time, but I hope you don't forget to review. Like most of my stories, TWLOHA is personal. That's why it took me a little longer than necessary to write this chapter. In many ways, it's a form of reflection for me. But it also works in the story's benefit because I know exactly where I'm going with the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thank you for reading and please review!  
Much Love,  
Kae xx

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The following day, Gabriella had not wanted to go to school. But she couldn't afford to lose another day of school. She was already so behind from not doing her homework from the previous day. Much to her body's protest, she dragged herself out of bed at quarter till six and begun her morning routine. She gathered her hair into a bun at the top of her head and turned the knob for cold water.

In the midst of her routine, she heard two rapid knocks coming from her room. She dried her face quickly and stepped back into her room to see the outline of a man on her balcony. As she stepped closer, it finally registered in her brain that it was none other than Troy.

They hadn't spoken since the last time that he was on her balcony.

"Hey," she said gently as she opened the windowed French door.

He turned around and from the light that poured out of her room, she was able to see his smile. "I take it that you're going to school."

She nodded and opened her door wider for him. "I'm still getting ready. Do you mind waiting down stairs?"

"I'll actually go wait in my truck. I think I didn't finish last night's reading," he said and she expected him to come in, but he walked backwards to the railing instead.

"You can use the front door, you know."

"I know, but climbing down a tree is more fun than walking down stairs."

"Just don't fall and hurt yourself."

"Awe, you care about me," he teased.

"No, you idiot. I just don't want to explain to my mother why a boy hurt himself by climbing our tree."

"Okay, sure. That's why."

"Just go so that I can finish getting ready," she said as she sensed that he was probably smirking. She took a step back into her room and began to ease the door shut.

"Fine. Fine. Just don't take too long or we'll be late," he said as he swung his legs over the railing.

"I'll be down in a minute," she said as she retreated into her room and locked her balcony door before returning to her bathroom.

Gabriella froze as she caught sight of her arm. She had almost forgotten about that. With her fingertip, she traced the faded word. She attempted to remove it with rubbing alcohol but she could still see it. Her eyes drifted shut as she played their encounter again in her mind.

"I'll show you mine sometime," his words echoed in her ear.

_What did he mean by that?_ She wondered.

In her eyes, Troy was perfect. Everything from his looks to his grades was above average. The idea that he knew firsthand what it was like to hold a blade to his skin, made her sick. He had such a reverence for life that the pieces didn't add up.

Her thoughts were disrupted when she heard her cell phone ring in the adjacent room. She rolled her eyes when she saw the caller ID.

"Yes?" she said into the phone as she walked back into the bathroom. She hit the speakerphone function and sat it down on her counter so that her hands were free for her to do her makeup.

"_You are definitely taking longer than a minute."_

"Is that really a surprise?"

"_I guess not, but I was kinda hoping that we could get to school early."_

Gabriella let out a guilt-induce breath as she paused her application. "Can you give me five more minutes?"

"_Okay, but if you're not down here by then, I'm coming to get you."_

"Sounds fair. Bye!"

Gabriella ended their conversation and continued with putting on her makeup. By no stretch of the imagination was she a vain woman. When she looked into the mirror, she hated who she saw. She couldn't look past the flaws to see anything beautiful.

So why is it that she puts in that effort?

She doesn't do it for the compliments or to boost her self-esteem. She does it because she's afraid. If she were to give up on her appearance, then her friends would know that something's wrong. Beneath the concealer, foundation, eyeliner and mascara, was the lifeless girl she knew herself to be. It's the part of her that she tries so desperately to hide.

Placing down her tube of mascara, she took in her appearance. She still looked pale and tired, but that's why they had makeup- to hide those flaws. She grabbed an empty makeup bag and tossed in pressed powder, tubes of Chapstick and lipstick, blush, and concealer. It wouldn't be the first time that she finished her makeup in Troy's truck or at school.

She raced back into her room and threw the makeup bag into her school bag, before she went over to her closet. Selecting a simple outfit of jeans and a white T-shirt, she slipped them on and then picked up her bag. She grabbed her cell phone off of her bathroom counter and was out of her house before she knew it.

Gabriella climbed into the familiar truck and dropped her bag by her feet. She fastened her seatbelt before she flipped down the visor vanity mirror to check her makeup one last time. Safely seated in his truck, she grabbed her makeup bag and used the makeup puff to dust her face. Pleased with her foundation, she reached for the blush to give herself a so-called natural flush. As a final touch, she reached into her bag for her lipstick. The smooth application of her lip color was what notified her that something wasn't right. She smacked her lips together to evenly distribute her lipstick and recapped the tube before she slipped it back into her bag.

"Weren't you the one that was complaining that we were going to be late for school?" she asked as she turned to face him, only to notice that he was staring right back at her. "What's wrong?"

Troy opened and closed his mouth several times before he turned away from her. "It's nothing," he muttered as he shifted his truck in reverse and began their drive to school.

It was an awkward journey, more awkward that their first ride together. Neither of them knew what to say. Troy kept his attention on the road, while Gabriella watched the scenery blur. The blaring of 30 Seconds to Mars filled their silence.

Wanting to keep herself from being tempted to stare at Troy, she reached for her phone. As she fumbled with the touch screen and it came to light, a profanity slipped her lips.

"What?" Troy asked immediately, as he glanced at her briefly.

"It's nothing," she fibbed as she self-consciously rubbed her bare wrist.

"Gabriella, I know you. I can count the numbers of times you've cursed on my hands."

"I forgot my bracelets."

"That's it? It jewelry, It's not-"

"It's not a fashion statement," she snapped at him, annoyed by his nonchalant behavior. She turned her body away from him and crossed her arms in defense. "After yesterday, I would of thought you'd understand," she said, not caring one way or another if he heard her.

"I'm sorry," he said at last, breaking the heavy silence. "I really didn't make that connection."

Despite his many attempts, Gabriella refused to talk to him. As soon as he pulled into his parking space, she bolted from his truck before he put it in park. She ignored his calls for her and the stares of bystanders. The so-called King of East High was chasing after her; she was bound to attract attention.

"What?" she screeched as she finally whipped around to come face-to-face with those hypnotizing blue-eyes.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry about earlier," he said quietly, reaching out to grab her hand but she stepped backwards. "And I'm also sorry about yesterday."

"I really don't want to talk about this now."

"Fair enough, but we'll have to talk about it eventually."

"I'll see you later," she muttered, not even daring to look him in the eyes.

Troy caught her hand as she turned to walk away and forced something into her hand. "It's not as pretty as your bracelets, but it should do."

"Thank you," she said, opening her hand to reveal his leather-strapped watch.

"If it doesn't fit, you can poke another hole through the strap," he said as he pulled her into a quick hug. Troy held his gaze on her for a moment longer, making no effort to move. He looked as if he had more to say.

"What?"

"It's noth-"

"No, it's something," she insisted, daring him with her eyes to speak. "You've been starring at me like that since this morning."

He sighed as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck, a clear indication of his nervousness. "It's just that I've never really noticed how much makeup you really wear. But anyway, I'll see you later."

As Gabriella watched him walk away from he again, this is what was running through her mind:_ Why would someone so wonderful waste his or her time on me?_

-TWLOHA-

The school day had gone faster than she expected and she had been dreading another awkward car ride with Troy. Fortunately for her, Troy had basketball practice and so Sharpay drove her home. Now they worked in silence to tackle their mound of homework.

But Gabriella couldn't concentrate.

Her mind was still swirling with questions about Troy. He was always so honest and open about what's on his mind. It's hard to imagine that there was this whole side of him that she didn't know.

Ironic, isn't it?

"Why didn't anyone tell me that Troy had a sister?" she asked as she placed her pen on the spine of her textbook and flipped it shut. She watched as the blonde across her merely shrugged as she continued on with her notes.

"It never came up."

"There must of been multiple times that we talked about siblings but no one thought to mention Krystina."

"It wasn't a big deal."

"A little girl dies and it's no 'big deal'?" Gabriella fired back, her eyebrow arched in surprise.

Sharpay said finally as she capped her pink pen and placed on her book. "Krystina was like a little sister me, so don't put words in my mouth," she scolded as she locked eyes with Gabriella.

"I didn't mean it like that," she apologized as she reached forward to place a comforting hand in the blonde's slender one. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't understand how anyone could leave a detail like that out."

"All of us went to her viewing and funeral," Sharpay said at last. "I just remember how Troy tried to remain his upbeat self during both of the ceremonies. He seemed fine during that time, that's what worried us."

"I don't understand. If he seemed fine, why were you worried?"

"When my grandmother died and my mother put on this act that she was fine, my aunt told me that it was the quiet ones that you have to worry about."

"So you guys think that he really took it hard?"

She nodded. "I think he had a delayed reaction. It wasn't until a couple of weeks passed by that you could just tell that something was up with him. Actually, he quit basketball because he was going to therapy once a week."

Gabriella tried to hide her surprise, but she couldn't imagine Troy sitting in a room and spilling his thoughts to virtual stranger. "Did he get better after that?" she asked finally.

"He got worse before he got better but he eventually bounced back."

"That's good. That's what matters in the end."

"Speaking of Troy, is that his watch?"

The brunette blushed. "Yeah it is, I forgot that I was wearing it."

"I'm surprised that he let you wear it," she said with envy evident in her eyes. "That's his favorite watch."

"I didn't know that," Gabriella replied, dropping her gaze from the beautiful blonde and to the watch adorning her wrist.

"Hs grandfather left it for him when he passed away. Troy rarely takes it off."

"H-he was teasing me about my small wrists and he was trying to make a point by comparing how his watch fits on me," she managed to get out.

'Oh okay, I thought he gave it because-" The blonde's brown eyes widened as she realized what she began to say. She quickly diverted her attention away from her friend and mumbled something incoherent.

"Shar, what were you going to say?"

"It's nothing, honestly."

"Funny, it didn't sound like 'nothing.' Seriously Shar, what is it?"

She sighed, still refusing to look up. "I thought that he finally asked you to be his girlfriend."

"W-why would you think that?" she stuttered.

"Despite the fact that you repeatedly say 'no', he has asked you out only a hundred times- which I don't understand. If Troy asked me out, I would be the happiest girl in the world. "

"Wait a minute. You like Troy?" Jealousy coursed through her veins but she hid it with a smile.

Sharpay looked away, the answer clear in her flushed cheeks. "Before I answer that, I need to know if you do."

"Troy and I are just friends," Gabriella said with a forced smile. "With all the times that I've turned him down, he probably doesn't like me like that. Besides, he's better off without me." She muttered the last sentence to herself, jealousy coursing through her veins.

"Are you sure? You don't like him at all?"

"Not like that," she said, trying to convince herself more than Sharpay. "He's just a really good friend."

Sharpay squealed gleefully and clapped her hands together. "You have no idea how good it is to hear that. Confession time: When you first moved here, I was really jealous that he started spending all this time with you. At first, I thought it was because I felt that I was being replaced but then he started hitting on you and blatantly flirting. I was full-on jealous."

"Well, I don't like him," she said, still not full convinced. She hid her disappointment with herself with a smile. "You two would look great together," she said, her friend's smile widening.

_It's true. _Gabriella thinks as she takes in her friend's beauty. She knew for a fact that her friend only wore mineral makeup so her skin was probably flawless to begin with. Her smile was up to celebrity status with her perfectly aligned pearly whites. Her body was made to wear the shortest skirts and the most form-fitting outfits. Her personality was strong but she was well liked by their peers.

Sharpay Evans was perfect.

Sharpay Evans was everything Gabriella Montez was not.

Sharpay Evans was a better match for Troy Bolton than Gabriella Montez would ever be.

-TWLOHA-

Later that night, Gabriella sat alone in her room. She had declined Sharpay's offer to have dinner at her house and decided to skip dinner altogether. She took an Aspirin for her headache, which could of been cured if she had eaten properly the whole day. Gabriella chased down the pain reliever with a glass of water as she waited for her laptop to load. As soon as she was greeted by her beach screensaver, she clicked on the Internet browser and typed in two words. It took several tries, but at last, she found what she was looking for.

As Gabriella stared at the screen in front of her, this is what was running through her mind: _Why must the ones that don't deserve it, die?_

Here she was, willing to take her life, and there were children that had their lives snatched out of their tiny hands. She had half a mind to slam her laptop shut as she felt her eyes water. But her eyes scanned the screen of links to obituaries and news articles about fundraisers; she froze upon seeing a link that stuck out. After skimming the snippet, she concluded that it was written from Troy's perspective and she clicked on the Fuck Yeah Love! link.

Beneath the title FOREVER IN MY HEART was a photo of smiling little girl with sandy-blonde hair. Her smile was crooked in the most perfect way, framed by her full cheeks. Gabriella could see the little girl's frail arms as her hands formed into the shape of a heart. But it was the little girl's eyes that pulled her in. They were a unique shade of brilliant blue, but she knew just who they reminded her of.

Gabriella continued reading:

_Krystina Bolton_

_She was absolutely beautiful. She stood just under four feet. She was 10 years old-10 years and 11 mouths to be exact. She was strong enough to go through hell and back. She was my dear baby sister._

_There will never be enough words to convey how beautiful she was or how strong she was. My friends Sharpay and Ryan wrote a song for her. It had beautiful lyrics and a hypnotizing piano solo. Even then, everything that made up my sister wasn't brought into light in that song._

_I can remember the day so clearly in my mind. I had a test in Algebra II and my stomach was in knots because I didn't really know the material. But as I prepped myself to take the test, my teacher told me that my dad was waiting for me in the attendance office. When I met my dad in the office, I completely froze. My dad - the bulky, basketball coach - was crying. _

_I knew that my sister was sick, but I didn't think much of it. I figured that she would bounce back, like she always did. She was resilient. She had proven doctors wrong so many times that I've lost count. Just the year before, she was given a 30% chance of survival. Four months later, she was at home opening her pile of Christmas presents._

_This time was different. _

_My sister was really, really sick. There were too many tubes leading in and out of her tiny body. Because her kidneys hadn't been working for like the past year, the doctors had her on dialysis 24/7 to clean out the toxins in her body and all the while she had a breathing tube. _

_We thought she was doing better because on her birthday, despite being unable to table because of her feeding tube, she was wide-awake and responsive. Her liver (which was transplanted almost 9 years ago) began to fail and her doctors said that there wasn't anymore that they can do for her. _

_The doctor spoke to us and he said that we should start thinking about comfort care because in his professional opinion, she had gotten to the point where it was irreversible. When he was talking, it just hit me that I really could lose her. _

_Her ammonia levels were so high that it caused swelling in her brain, which meant that day or the day after, she would be brain dead. She was bleeding internally and it spilled from her dried lips. There were only two options for her: If the new medicine didn't work, then she'd need a surgery but she wasn't stable enough for that and would die._

_Her body finally gave out._

_My parents decided that since there was nothing that they can do for her, that they would give her a dose of morphine and just let her blood pressure drop. My grandmothers, aunt and cousin flew in from California so they were with Krystina in her final hours. She wasn't in pain and God knows that she had suffered too much in her young life._

_Krystina Bolton passed away August 23, 2009 at 6:52 am EST._

_Three months ago today, I lost her. Outliving your baby sister is one of the worst feelings in the world. It took me three months to find the right words to write this. Even now, it just doesn't seem like enough. So in those three months, I've made a decision. This is my declaration on how I'm going to honor my sister's memory: _

_I, Alexander Bolton, will give up cutting and get help. _

_Part of the reason I started cutting was because of my sister's illness. I just got so frustrated that my whole life was dictated by her schedule. I had to miss out on certain things at school or with my parents because she was sick. Now she's gone and one of my reasons is therefore gone and I still feel this numbness. I didn't know how to handle these emotions. All of these years, I've had to suppress how I was feeling to please other people and cutting was my release. _

_But things are different now._

_Krystina would of wanted me to get better and get out of my slump. I've decided that I'm going to really try and change this coming year. I'm going to stop feeling sorry for myself and stop being so selfish. I realized that I haven't really tried to make myself feel better and essentially be a happy person._

_To the strangers that have stumbled upon this but were able to relate, please remember that you're not alone. Things will get better. It's always hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel, but it's there. Believe me, it is there. It just might take some time. I'm just sorry that it took my sister's death for me to see it._

_Krystina, you are my inspiration. I love you and miss you more than anything._

_Wherever you are, know that you will always have your big brother's love._

_-Alex_

Despite that this was a public post; Gabriella felt that she had stumbled on something so intimate. She didn't know why it was signed as 'Alex' but she was sure that this was Troy. She could almost hear his voice as she read his words. After closing her laptop so that she wouldn't be tempted to read it again, she stood from her desk chair and walked into her bathroom.

Her eyes drifted shut as she replayed her conversation with Troy from the day before. _It makes sense_. She told herself as she remembered the look of vulnerability in his brilliant blue eyes. She remembered how stunned she was by his uncharacteristic behavior. But she understood it now.

Gabriella knew it all to well. Behind her many smiles and laughs, she suffered heartaches. Why would it be impossible for Troy Bolton to do the same? After all, not everything is what is it seems.

It was a beautiful thing for her to think that she could her see herself opening up to Troy. But as she took in her makeup-streaked face, she thought otherwise. She was a mess- physically and emotionally. Troy may have the knowledge to help her but maybe he didn't want anything more than that.

Why choose the broken girl when there's a beautiful, lively girl falling at your feet?

Sometimes, looking past the surface wasn't required. 

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Anonymous Review Reply:

_**to Ice:**_I'm so glad you found chapter four cute. =) And I'm sorry that fanfiction wouldn't let you sign in. lol that's really weird. But thank you for still leaving an anonymous review!


	7. The Long Goodbye

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

This is dedicated to the sweet reviewers of the last chapter:** yogaluva, AlamancexGurl, Y0uNMcK33, pumpkinking5, MissIndependentlyPerfect, coolio1260, Waffleluver, anoddapple, eeyore197829, **and** Bluebell140. **Again, thank you so much! 

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Gabriella continued riding with Troy to and from school. Her car was damaged beyond repair and she wasn't left with any other options. Much to Gabriella's delight, talking was kept to a minimum between them. Since the incident with Sharpay, she had found it hard to look at Troy. The mere thought of him with Sharpay made her stomach churn. She was jealous but she did everything in her power to look past it.

She signed in frustration as she stared at her Pre-Calculus homework. Slamming her book shut with her work still inside it, she grabbed her cell phone and pounded on the keys to bring it out of it sleep.

"She's an hour late," she said to no one in particular as she noted the time. "She was never one for punctuality," she said as she threw her phone on to her bed.

_Before:_

"Gabriella, are you ready?"

The 13-year-old looks up from her book to see her father dressed sharply in a suit and tie. "Dad, I've been ready. It takes me like five minutes to do my hair and get dressed."

"I know, I know. It's your mother that takes forever getting ready," he says with annoyance evident in his voice as he plops down on her bed.

Gabriella sits up and rests against her headboard. She rolls her eyes and says, "You knew that when you married her."

"I know, what was I thinking?"

She fights a frown as she tries to figure out if he's kidding. If wasn't for the many nights of lying in bed and listening to them fighting, there wouldn't be a doubt in her mind. "But you love her anyway, right?" she says, smiling brightly and waiting for his confirmation.

"Have either of you seen my white gold ring?" her mother calls from the other room.

"Dear God, she lost her jewelry again!"

Gabriella frowns as she hears her father's frustration. "You took it off when you washed the dishes!" she screams in reply, her eyes never leaving the man who was cracking his knuckles in annoyance. "You'd think she'd remember the routine by now," she jokes, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Apparently not," he says rather stiffly.

She was at a lost of words as they sat in silence. There was so much that she wanted to ask him but she was too afraid to hear the answer.

"When are you off for winter break?" he asks suddenly, catching her off guard.

"Like the weekend before Christmas? Why?'

"How about we spend Christmas in New York this year?"

"But mom likes going to California every Christmas to visit her parents."

"Nothing's stopping her," he mutters as he stands and straightens his tie. "We'll figure something out," he says more cheerfully and offers her his hand. "C'mon Ella, let's go see if your mother's finally ready."

She nods as she links theirs hands and follows him out of her room. For the rest of the night, she had remained quiet as she studied her parents' interaction. They were drifting further and further apart. It's then that she promises herself that she would make herself the perfect daughter so that they would have no reason to separate.

_Now:_

Gabriella rushed out of her room as she heard the rustling of the front door. She should be frightened of what was to come when her mother find out about her car but she was just happy to have her mother home again.

"Welcome to my humble abode," her mother said in a rather cheery voice.

Before she had a chance to ask her mother whom she was talking to, she froze at the top of the staircase as she heard an unfamiliar male voice. She peaked over the banister and made sure that she was kept out of her line of vision. Gabriella bit back a gasp as she spied her mother standing in her flight attendant's uniform and a man in what a appeared to be a pilot's uniform.

"Your home's just as lovely as you are."

"Such a sweet-talker," her mother said as she leaned up to kiss the man. "Why don't you get our luggage out of my car while I check if Gabriella's home."

"Who's Gabriella again?"

"My sister," she answered nonchalantly as she peered into the garage.

"That's right, you live with your sister. It's so nice that you took her in when your parent's died."

"You know, it was the right thing to do," she said as she reappeared by the man's side. She snaked her hands around his neck while his went around her waist. "Speaking of things to do, I think our bags can wait."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because we have this house all to ourselves."

"In that case, maybe you could take me on a tour," the man suggested, his hand dipping from her mother's lower back to her ass.

"Gladly. Let's start with the master bedroom."

Gabriella felt the bile rise in her throat. Had her mother really brought home a co-work? Not only that, but had she really disown her daughter? She ran back to her room, not caring if she made too much noise and locked her bedroom door. Not being able to handle being in the same house as the very woman that ignored her existence, she walked onto the balcony and tried to recall the way Troy had maneuvered his body to scale the side of her tree. Her limbs were shorter and not as strong as Troy's but at this point, she didn't care.

Hurting herself by climbing down a tree was the least of her worries.

-TWLOHA-

Gabriella stood in confusion as her eyes scanned the shelves in front of her. There were so many choices. She read the labels carefully, tempted by each promise that was made. It felt like an hour had passed with her comparing brands. But she would stand there for an hour more if she had to in order to pick out the most effective one. Besides, she was in no rush to return home.

After scaling down the side of her tree, she found herself at the local park well past sunset. She wandered around helplessly and watched the perfect families spending a day in the sun. it made her sick to think that perhaps one of the little toddlers in the sandbox would grow up to be just like her. Once she made her body physically exhausted, she need to help relax her mind. That's how she found herself standing in the middle of isle eight of the drugstore.

"Mind if I make a suggestion?"

She jumped at the unexpected voice and whipped around to see the last perhaps she wanted to see. Dressed in a fitted white shirt, dark washed jeans and black converse was Troy Bolton standing at the end of the isle. "Be my guest," she said as she tore her eyes away from his relaxed state.

"These are the ones that I gave you when you were over at my house," he said as he plucked a small white bottle from the bottom shelf. He handed it over to her, making her breath catch in her throat as his skin brushed against hers. "They worked for you, didn't they?" he asked, taking a step back from her.

"Yeah, they did. Thanks," she muttered as she began walking backwards him, still not willing to meet his eyes. "I'll see you around, Troy." With a final wave, she turned around and made her way to the checkout counter.

Not a minute later, she heard footsteps following close behind her. "If this continues, I might have to file a restraining order," she said without bothering to turn around.

"Hey, I'm just trying to figure out how you got to a store almost two miles away when your car is sitting in some junk yard."

Gabriella ignored his comment and presence as she waited patiently in line. She greeted the cashier pleasantly as the elder woman rung up her items with a genuine smile.

"$4.73 is your total."

She slid a five-dollar bill across the counter as Troy drummed his fingers as he stood to her left.

"Ma'am, don't you think it's improper for a young woman to walk alone at night?" Troy asked as he nudged Gabriella's shoulder.

"It would be just as improper if you didn't make sure that said young woman got home safely," she said with an amused smile.

"Well, we wouldn't want to be improper," he said as he reached for the plastic bag of her purchase. He draped an arm around her stiff shoulders and bid a farewell to the cashier. "She's nice."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped as soon as they exited the store and she shrugged his arm off of her. She rip her plastic bag out of his grip and planted her feet firmly on the ground.

"I'm taking you to my car so that I can drive you home."

"Thanks but no thanks. I'll walk."

"Then I'll walk with you."

"That would mean that you'd walk me home, only to have to walk back to get your car. You're insane."

"Says the girl that wants to home alone- at night."

"Troy," she began softly, using all her control to not scream at him, "I can take care of myself. I do it all the time."

"And you're doing such a great job," he said sarcastically as he gave her small frame a once over. "That's why you're all skin and bones now. When was the last time you had a real meal?"

She was taken aback by his analysis of her and was left without a response. Letting out a huff of frustration, she crossed her arms tightly across her chest and turned around. "Go ahead and stalk me home. Why should I give a damn that you're wasting your time?"

"It's not a waste if I know that you're safe," he said, causing her to fall silent. He took longer strides, ensuring that she couldn't walk ahead of him.

Gabriella could feel him watching her underneath the streetlights, but she tried hard to not acknowledge it. She would be completely heartless if she didn't feel flattered by his determinism. Despite all of her attempts to resist him, she found it hard to not swoon at his every word. She couldn't remember the last time that any guy had given her that much attention.

"I can't give you your confidence."

For the first time that night, she glanced sideways to look at him peculiarly. "What are you talking about?" she nearly hissed.

"I can tell you that you're beautiful, smart and downright sexy. But none of that means anything if you don't believe that it's true." He spoke from his heart and spoke with such reverence, as if this was the most important secret in the world. "I say this because I care. I really think that you need to get some help."

"Getting help would imply that I have a problem," she said after what felt like an hour of pure silence.

"That may be so, but it would also imply that you can start feeling better again."

"There's no way in hell that I'm going to talk to some freak, who is going to analyze my every thought and motive. I'm not crazy."

"Hey, I never said that you're crazy," he said softly as he gripped her elbow softly to pull her to a stop. "i just said that you need help."

"That's only going to happen if my mother forces me into it. And let's face it, that woman isn't even home enough to notice that anything's wrong- let alone, care."

Troy held her an arm's length away as he held onto both her elbows. "Despite what you think, your mom loves you. Any mother would be devastated to hear that her child has been cutting and attempted suicide."

"Okay, you caught me. I'm a cutter," she admitted for the first time aloud and dropped her gaze to the gap between them, "but I didn't try to kill myself."

"Gabriella, there's nothing you can say that would convince me otherwise."

"If that's how you feel, why don't you tell her about how fucked up her daughter is."

"I could tell her about all of that and she could have you admitted to some mental facility, but unless you actually want to get better, it's not going to make a difference either way. You're smart enough to fool the therapist and everyone around you. I have no doubt that you could put on that mask of yours and pretend that everything's okay. You need to see that you need help."

"Who the hell are you to tell me that I need help?"

"I'm someone who's been there," he said firmly as he gripped her by her biceps as she fought to breakaway. He didn't care that from the outside looking in, this looked like a dangerous situation for the said girl. If this was the only way to get through her thick skull, he would risk the chance of being beaten by a passerby that wanted to play superman. He pulled her into a nearby ally and caged her against the wall.

"I've been right where you are now," he said in a softer tone as he cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. "At 13, I stopped living for myself. I worked so hard to be this picture perfect son that I felt that I had to be. My parents never pressured me but I knew that they wanted me to be the ultimate son. With my sister sick all of the time, I felt like I couldn't let them down. But I was miserable. My mother had once told me that I was selfish and I knew that she was right. It killed me inside to know that I wasn't good enough. So I picked up one of those old fashion razors that my grandfather kept at our house for when he visited and ran it against my stomach. That pain was addicting. Even on my so-called "good" days, I couldn't sleep at night unless I did it."

He dropped his hand from her cheek and gripped one of her hands that dangled lifelessly at her side. It would appear to be a sexual moment but it was anything but that as he brought her hand to trace a long line across his lower abdomen.

"I did that the day after my sister died and we came home without her," he said before folding her hand into his and entwining their fingers. "Getting up in the morning is a pain in the ass and falling asleep at night is even worse. You feel like there's no one in the world that you can talk to because no one understands how alone you feel. It doesn't matter if you're in a room full of family and friends, you still feel alone. Then you start to believe that-"

"I had enough of this," Gabriella said finally as she blinked back tears that were threatening to fall. She ripped her hand out of his grip and pushed him away with all her might. "I am so sick of you prying into my business! So, why don't you go hook up with Sharpay somewhere and stay the fuck out of my life?"

"Sharpay?" he asked sharply, holding her hands against his chest to halt her movement. "What the hell does she have to do with this?"

"She's in love with you!" She didn't mean to scream but all sorts of emotions coursed through her veins.

"What?"

"You are so dense."

"I'm dense?" He let out a bitter laugh. "That's fucking rich coming from you."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"What do you think it means?" Troy asked as he took a step towards her, his statuesque frame towering over her. He didn't give her chance to reply as he crashed his lips onto hers and released her hands. Placing his hands on her waist, he brought her closer to him as her hands wound instinctively around his neck. "I care about you. A lot," he whispered against her lips as he pulled away.

_You shouldn't_. She thought as her eyes drifted open slowly to meet the intensity in his blue eyes. Despite her better judgment, she leant up to meet his lips in a slow, soft kiss. She allowed him to deepen the kiss, coaxing her to part her lips. Wrapped up in the moment, they could of gone forever like this in the darkness of the alley. Blame it on months of built up sexual tension, but neither wanted to be the first to pull away.

But the shrill of a cell phone busted the bubble that they created around them.

Troy pulled away slowly, reluctantly and placed one last kiss on her pulsating lips before he pulled out his phone from his back pocket and breathing out a greeting. "Fuck! I can't believe I forgot!" he said, suddenly, causing her to jump slightly. With his free hand, he entwined their hands and brought to his lips as a silent apology. "Can you just leave it by the cashier? Why not? C'mon man, you've been filling this prescription for me for a year. Company policy, I got it. I'll see you in a bit."

"What's wrong?" she asked as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"I forgot my prescription at the pharmacy and they're about to close. I stupidly waited until I was completely out to have my prescription refilled. Last time I skipped a dose, I got nauseous and whatnot so I don't want to risk it."

"Prescription for what?" she asked as he led her back to the sidewalk and in the direction of the drugstore.

"Cymbalta: it's my anti-depressant. My doctor's starting to wane me off of it now."

As his words left his lips in an almost proud tone, she felt reality crashing onto her. That emotional tie that held them together was depression. The reason he understood her so well was because he has been where she is. Now he was recovering and here she was- bringing up all of those memories once again. How is it fair that she'd make him relive it?

So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't realize that they already reached the drugstore. "I'll wait out here for you," she said quietly as she pulled back.

He nodded and pecked her once on the lips. "I'll be really quick and maybe now that you're a little more willing, we could drive home instead of walking?"

She couldn't help but giggle at his teasing tone. Agreeing with a quick nod, she accepted another kiss from. She watched as he walked into the store, shooting glances over his shoulder all of the way. But as he walked away, her smile faltered.

She wouldn't be a healthy component to his recovery. He needed someone supportive and always available because they aren't wrapped up in their own drama. She could still taste him on her lips and she couldn't help but smile. Turning away from the store, she spotted a familiar face in the parking lot that would be willing to take her home. Shaking the bottle that she almost forgot that she purchased, she shifted her gaze between it and the drugstore.

"Goodbye, Troy," she whispered as she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

-TWLOHA-

When Gabriella arrived home, she slowly crept down the stairs to get a glass of water to swallow her sleeping aids. She listened carefully for any signs of her mother and her guest. Her mother's familiar laughter echoed through the house. The lights from the kitchen spilled into the hallway and the smell of spaghetti filled the air. She felt her eyes water and she made no effort to keep them from falling. As she crept back upstairs, this was what was running through her mind: her mother was happier without a daughter.

After locking herself into her room, she collapsed onto the floor in a crying heap. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face into her arms. She waited to feel the pain from her mother's words but she felt nothing.

It was just like the night of her accident.

When she drove her car into the tree she had waited for an instant pain that overtook her body but it never came. Broken glass shattered around her and the static of the radio was all she heard until she was shoved in to total silence. Her whole body went numb that night but it wasn't from any physical pain. For a split second, she had thought that she had succeeded; that her death had been straight and fast. But from the moment the tree caused her roof to cave in and shards of glass sprinkled on her skin, she knew that she had failed.

"Why am I still alive?" she asked aloud as stumbled to stand.

For years, Gabriella had felt like a burden. Nothing she did was enough to stop her parents from arguing. They fought constantly at night, after they thought their daughter was tucked into her bed. Occasionally, they would fight in front of her but her dad would always deflect the argument. She thought if she was the perfect daughter than there would be nothing to fight over but she had been wrong. It didn't matter what she did because her father still left in the end. Even now, she was a burden in her mother's life. That was a problem that she could fix.

The first time she had failed but this time, she would do it right.

With her head held high, she grabbed her newly purchased bottle of pills from her nightstand and rummaged through her bedside drawer for her blade. She took a good look around her room and debated on whether she should clean.

"First thing's first," she said as she made her way into her bathroom. She plugged her tub's drain and turned the tap on so that warm water began to fill it. Setting her blade on the tube's ledge, she turned herself back towards the mirror and gave herself a once over.

She tried to look past her disheveled hair and pale face but she couldn't see anything that could be salvaged.

There was nothing _worth_ saving.

Gabriella broke the seal of the sleeping pills and emptied half of its contents into the palm of her hand. She experimented with one little white pill first, using her other hand to cup the sink water into her hand to bring it to her lips. The pill slid easily down her throat and so she tried swallowing more at once.

Before she knew it, she downed more than half the bottle and she felt slightly dizzy. The rational part of her brain told her that the medicines couldn't be taking affect already but the other part just wanted it all to be over. She steadied herself by gripping the counter and turned back to the nearly filled tub. Sitting on the tube's ledge, she reached over to turn the tap off and ran a hand through the bathwater.

_Perfect._ She thought as she stood to lock the bathroom door. Not wanting to feel the heaviness of wet denim in her final moments, she shimmied out of her jeans. Dressed in only her undergarments and a T-shirt, she sat on the tub's ledge with her legs submerged in the water. She eased herself gently into the tub and watched as the water inched closer to the tub's rim. By the time that she was fully submerged with the water reaching her shoulders, the water was threatening to overspill.

The warm water eased every aching muscle in her body and her eyes involuntarily drifted shut as she welcomed the feeling. She carefully groped the tub's ledge for her trusty blade and pressed it to her forearm under the water. The sharp tip pierced her skin but she kept her hand still. Maybe it was the obscuring her view or the sleeping pills taking affect but she found it hard to see the straight lines marring her wrist. Hugging her knees to her chest, she propped her arm on her knees. She could see the latest scar looking out of place on her skin. It was a crooked and hideous reminder of her failure. It was then that she was reminded of the way LOVE was written to distract from it.

"What love?" she asked with a bitter laugh. "My own mother pretends that I don't exist!"

With a light touch, she traced the tip of the blade to trace where LOVE's L faded. Gabriella was alone in this world. There was no love that surrounded her from anyone. She couldn't even remember that last time she was told that she was loved. She laughed at the irony of it all. The love in her life had faded and Troy's LOVE had faded.

Pressing the blade harder into her skin, she carved LIES where LOVE once was written. She smiled in satisfaction as blood seeped through the broken skin. That four letter word was much more applicable to her life.

Lies were the one thing that broken her down each day but they also kept her from falling apart. Behind the bright smiles hid a girl that was exhausted from keeping up with a charade. She was kidding herself if she thought she could go on forever with her secret.

For once, she was going to do something for herself.

Gabriella closed her hand tightly against her blade as she eased herself lower into the tub. The blade bit into her palm but she hardly noticed, as her hair became a floating mess of knots, as she was now neck-deep in the water.

She whispered her final goodbye to the world.

The darkness consumed her as she sunk to the bottom of the tub with her eyes drifted shut. She felt light, in control and everything in between. Her hand slowly released the blade but ever the faithful companion, it didn't move from her relaxed palm. The world around her began to fade, as her cuts became only dull aches. She faintly felt the tub vibrate against her back and a repetitive banging but she didn't have the energy to process where it was coming from, nor did she particularly care.

With her lungs screaming for air, she felt content. She allowed the last breath she was holding to escape her lips through a small smile as she welcomed the darkness with open arms. Passed out at the bottom of a tub with her razor as her only lover, she was finally happy.

What a twisted world that we live in where a girl's lover can't even say 'I love you' back.

But in Gabriella's world, she was done with the lies and that's what made her happy in the end. 

* * *

_**A/N:**_ I thought I was well enough to write this story without feeling like I'm relapsing but it's because I love this story that I'm finishing it. Please bear with me if it takes me awhile to crank out a chapter. It's so easy for my emotions to flip on me and when I'm in one of my moods it affects almost everything I do. To offset the depression, I was considering reposting my story _Amazed _from like last spring_._I cleaned up the storyline a bit and I have most of it planned out. It's not going to be posted right away but I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in reading it? The original summary is as follows, but is subject to be changed:

He was 22. She was 17. He has a kid. She's never been kissed. He revolved around his family. She lacked the feeling of a family. His life was complicated. Her life was predictable. They were nothing alike, but it's amazing how they just worked.

I actually hate the title so that might change but that's the basic concept and it wouldn't interfere with this story. Lol I'm a one-story-at-a-time type of girl.

Thank you for reading and please review!  
Much Love,  
Kae xx

Anonymous Review Reply:

_**to the unnamed review of the last chapter:**_I'm sorry I made you cry. Lol actually, I'm not. That honestly makes me a bit happy that the last chapter had such an affect on you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and it played with your emotions a bit =)


	8. Boys and Girls

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

This is dedicated to the sweet reviewers of the last chapter:** loverly2467, andemarie16, kaybaby1127, itsi3, Southernbelleforever, LivexxLaughxxLovexx, Younmckee, eeyore197829, Angkeats, yogaluva, Bluebell140, ChasingGhosts, silvermist92, AfterTheStormSets, pumpkinking5, anoddapple, and aly. I'm sorry that I didn't reply, but I am so grateful for each of your reviews. They're the only reason I posted this chapter. **

**Yesterday was March 1****st****, National Self-Injury Awareness Day, and 3 years to the date that I posted this story. That also means that it has been three years since I began treatment for my depression. I'll be honest, I'm still not 100% better and I don't know if I ever will, but I'm proud to say: I'm still here and it's getting better. **

**To anyone that identifies with Gabriella (or myself): As much as you want to give up, just keep pushing through it.**

* * *

Despite how mad he was at her, he couldn't stop the smile that crept onto his face as he thought about what happened a few short moments ago. He should be furious that she ditched him and he was. But his thoughts were filled with that amazing feeling you get when you get to hold someone special to you.

Gabriella Montez was not someone Troy Bolton could stay mad at.

He vaguely recognized the red car that he parked next to in her driveway. It's her mother's, if he remembered correctly. Taking a deep breath of courage, he knocks on the front door and silently prays that Gabriella opens it instead of her mother. Luck was most certainly not on is side as the door opened to reveal the Montez woman he did not desire.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice anything but friendly.

"Good evening, Ms. Montez," he greeted, swallowing the bundle of nerves that had formed in his throat. "I don't know if you remember me but I'm Troy Bolton- a friend of Gabriella."

"Yes, you look somewhat familiar. Anyway, what can I help you with? Gabriella's not here at-"

"What do you mean she's not here?" he interrupted, not carrying if he sounded rude.

"Her car isn't in the garage so-"

"Her car was totaled, of course it's not here," he said bluntly.

"Totaled? What happened?"

"She was very upset as she drove around one evening and ran her car into a tree."

If Ms. Montez picked up on the true meaning of his words, she showed no signs of worry. She played the concerned parent role well; asking questions about the accident and Gabriella. However, she didn't ask about why her daughter was so upset and driving at night. She went as far as to label her daughter as irresponsible.

Not wanting to hear her comments of disapproval any longer, as politely as he could, he interrupted her small lecture. "Would it be okay if I wait in her room?" he asks.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'll have a talk with her when she gets home and I'll tell her that you stopped by," she said as she took a step back to ease the door close. "Thank you for stopping by, though."

"Please Ms. Montez, I really need to talk to her. It's really important."

"Troy, whatever it is, I'm sure that it's not a life or death situation. I'm sure that you can talk in the morning."

He did his best to hide his frustration as he took a step backwards as well. "I understand, Ms. Montez. Have a good night."

"You too Troy." she called before she shuts the door.

He was beyond frustrated at this point. He needed to see her, talk to her and maybe even hold her in his arms once more. The memory of her taste on his lips sent another smile to his lips. In that split moment, he made his way towards the backyard that he was quickly growing fond of. With ease, he climbed the large tree by her balcony and hoisted himself of her railing.

The first thing that he noticed was that her balcony door was left wide open.

The lights in her room were on, but there was no sign of the beautiful brunette. Everything her room seemed just as he remembered it. She may have been a neat-freak at school but her room always seemed to be a mess. But something felt off to him. He went to sit on her as he thought about what he should do. But as he sat down, he noticed the crinkled plastic bag of the drugstore.

_She couldn't be home._ He told himself as he reached for the bag. At the bottom of the plastic laid a lone receipt. It didn't take but a minute for him to realize that this was the same plastic bag from earlier. He froze as pieces of the puzzle fell together. No sleeping pills. No Gabriella.

Troy's heart began to race as he began to search the room for any sign of where she could of gone. That's when he noticed the light pouring from the threshold of the bathroom.

"Gabriella?" he called with his ear pressed against the door. He heard nothing. No running water or sounds of shuffling. His hands began frantically turning at the door knob. "Are you in there? Open the door, baby."

No response.

"C'mon, we can talk things out. Please, open the door."

Nothing.

"Damn it, Gabriella! Open this door!"

He pushed himself off of the door and bangs at it with closed fist. Backing away from the door, he got a running start before ramming his shoulder into the door. It was painful but not as painful as the thought that he let her slip through his finger. With a final hit, the door budged and he stumbled into the bathroom. And just like that, everything happened so fast. One minute he's standing above the tub, taking in the sight of a drowning brunette with her hair in a tangled mess. The next, he's holding her in his arms with her bleeding wrists staining his shirt.

"What the hell is going on up here?!"

Troy looked up from the brunette for only a split second to see two confused adults standing in the doorway. He offered no explanation to them as his attention returned to the woman in his arms. He pressed two fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. It was there, but it felt weak. He blocked out the screaming woman in the background as he brings himself closer to check if she's breathing.

"You need to lay her flat."

Troy felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the stranger from earlier. He huged her tighter to his chest in a protective manner, and shifted her body in attempt to cover her bare legs.

"If she isn't breathing," the man continued and gestured to the brunette, "you need to do chest compressions immediately."

The young man nodded and gently laid her down on the cold tile. He looked down at her near-lifeless body, then back at the man. He felt at a lost on what to do and looked at this stranger for some much needed guidance. At that moment, he felt like he was the one that couldn't breath, let alone think for himself.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as he performed chest compressions to the best of his ability. Part of him was scared he'd hurt her, but he was more afraid of losing her.

He doesn't know how much time passes before Gabriella gasps for breath, but when she finally does, he took her into his arms with the intent of never letting go. He rubbed her back as she coughs against his chest. He feels the girl cling tighter to him and so he matches her grip. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he says a silent prayer.

"I need an explanation and I need it now."

"Ms. Montez," he said with a shaky voice and looked up at the woman standing in the doorway, "I can explain."

She hadn't moved an inch since she first entered the bathroom. Ignoring him, she took a step forward. "Gabriella, what did we walk in on?"

"Please, just give her a moment," he said as he presses another kiss to her forehead.

She picked up the discarded pair of jeans on the floor and then looked back at the embracing teens. She placed a hand on her propped out hip and raised a pointed hand at Troy. "I don't know what went on here but let go of my daughter and get the hell out of my house."

"Ms. Montez, let me-"

Gabriella shifted in his arms to get a better look at the woman that was a mirror image of herself. Through her tears, she asks, "Now I'm your daughter?"

"Don't do this," he pleads.

"Of course you're my daughter. And as your mother, I think it's time you asked your friend to leave. He shouldn't be up here this late. Let alone in your bathroom with you."

"Please, Ms. Montez, I can explain."

"Troy, don't," she says firmly as she tried to stand. The room seemed to spin as she sat up, causing her to fall back against Troy for support.

"Not so fast." he whispers into her ear as he hugs her close once more. "Just take it easy." Without a second thought, he scoops her into his arms and stands. She stole a towel from the rack as they sidestepped her mother and her mother's friend. He lays her gently on her bed and helps her with the towel.

"One of you start explaining." Ms. Montez says once more as she blocks him from reentering the bathroom. "Now."

Troy let out a breath and looked back at the curled up figure on the bed. "She's sick," he said simply, his own heartbreaking as he said it.

"Sick with what?" she asked, irritation evident his tone. "Listen, Troy, I appreciate your help but let me take care of it from here."

"With all do respect, I don't think you can."

She scoffs and looks back at her daughter, who sat with her knees hugged to her chest. "Maybe she just needs something to eat. There was nothing in the fridge when I got home so maybe she just forgot to eat."

"Ms. Montez, that really isn't it."

"Then what is it?"

"No offense, but you wouldn't understand."

"What is there to understand?"

"She's really-"

"I tried killing myself."

As soon as the words left her lips, eeriness fell over the room. Three sets of eyes watched as Gabriella's whole body shook as her tears fell freely down her face.

"I tried to kill myself," she repeated through her her shaky breathing. "And I failed."

Ms. Montez watched in silence as Troy was at her daughter's side at once, pulling her into his arms and whispering sweet words of comfort to her. She took a step towards them, only to take two steps back. Her mouth opened several times but no sound came out, "I'm sorry," she whispers before fleeing the room with her friend close behind.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Troy whispered as he rubbed small circles on her back. "Stop your crying, baby. It'll all work out."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will. We'll fix this."

"Fix what?" she asked angrily as she pulled away slightly to look at him. "Me? I can't be fixed."

"You can't be fixed because there's nothing wrong with you," he said, locking his eyes with her. She looked away first, relaxing her body and burying her face into the crook of his neck. "You've just been through a lot, especially after tonight. I think you should try to sleep and we'll talk about it when you're ready."

"Are you leaving now?"

"Baby, I wouldn't dream of leaving you," he said, causing a faint smile to form on her lips from the pet name. She looked up at him with those big brown eyes and he could see every inch of sadness pulling him down. "I'm going to find first aid stuff in the bathroom. While I'm in there, I'll close the door so you can change into something dry. Just yell when you're ready." She nodded weekly in response but took her time letting go of him. He cupped her cheek in his hand and wiped away a stray tear with the pad of thumb. "It'll be okay," he whispered once more before pressing a kiss to her forehead and making his way to the bathroom.

-TWLOHA-

"Tell me your story," she whispered in the dark room.

"I thought you were sleeping already," he said as he shifted a bit on the bed. He laid on top of the bed cover as she snuggled beneath it and into his side with her head resting on his chest. She shrugged slightly and offered him no further explanation. "Where do you want me to start?"

Gabriella slowly brought her hand above the bed sheet and hesitantly touched his stomach. She traced the line that she knew laid beneath. "How old were you?" she finally asked as she repeats the motion another time.

He took a deep breath as he brought his hand from behind his head and laying her "I was 12 when I started. I don't really remember the exact event that drove me to do it or even the first time I did it. But I do remember that it became easier and easier to do."

She nodded, silently urging him on.

"It started maybe once a week and then every couple of days. Before I knew it, I was doing it one or two times a day. It was like this addiction that I couldn't shake. If I didn't do it, I'd feel anxious and couldn't sleep. It didn't matter if I was physically exhausted from the day because I still couldn't shut off my mind."

"Does the need ever go away?"

"That's the thing, I don't think it really does. The trick is to learn not need it_."_

"You make it sound so easy."

"Trust me, it's not at first, but it's something you just need to do."

"I don't think I can," she said more to herself than to him. "I'm done talking. My head is killing me."

Troy cradled her head against his chest, not caring that her hair is still soaked from earlier. "It's a side effect from the sleeping pills. The melatonin is technically safe when ingested in large quantities, but headaches can be one of the side-effects."

"How do you know about that stuff?"

"Because you're not the only one that has thought of it as their way out."

Her head moved up and down in sync with his breathing. She considered his words for a moment as she tried to imagine the man lying beside her going through the motions she had gone through today. "Have you ever tried?" she asked, not caring if she's being blunt or nosy.

"No, but I thought about it a lot and I think I would have done it."

"What stopped you?"

"My sister died," he said after a brief pause. "Remember when we were at the pharmacy earlier? And I said that I was having a heard time dealing with the pressure from my parents and all stuff with my sister being sick?"

She nodded against his chest, remembering the pained expression that had flashed across his features when he had shown her his scar. "So when she passed, you felt relieved?"

"You would think that I would because all my problems seemed to have revolved around her, but I didn't feel relieved at all. The summer before she passed, I was already having such a hard time and then all of sudden she got really sick. I started to feel so guilty that I hadn't been a better brother in those last few weeks,"

"I'm sure you were great with her. I've seen how you are with Chad's little sister."

"No," he snapped harshly. "If I wasn't stuck in my own messed up mind, I would have a decent last memory of her. In those weeks following her death, I felt so numb. I was so tired and just wanted it to end."

"Then why didn't you? End it, I mean."

"Like I said, my sister died. My parents had already lost one child and I didn't think they could take losing another one. Especially if I went willingly."

"But at least you would have been at peace."

"You think that now, but what if there is afterlife."

"I don't believe in an afterlife or heaven or whatever you want to call it. I believe that we simply stop being and, most importantly, feeling."

"But what if there is life after death? And then I would have watched my parents mourn another child." He cleared his throat, as if he's trying to stop himself from crying. "That's the thing about suicide," he practically whispered in the night air. "It seems like this amazing and freeing idea for the person committing it, but for the loved ones that get left behind, they'll always be wondering what went wrong."

A silence fell between them as the story comes to an end.

She pushed her self off him slightly and took in his appearance in the darkness of her room. He looked back at her, not expecting her sudden movement. He waited for her to speak, knowing that the last thing she needs is to be pushed. She continues to look at him, noting the exhaustion written on his face.

His story replays in her head as she tries to imagine a younger, innocent Troy. She sees it- that young boy that felt so much that it hurt. In that moment, she pictured him in that dark place, drifting in and out of reality. And her heart breaks for that boy who never had a chance to be just a boy.

His hand gently cups her cheek as the pad of his thumb swipes away at tear that managed to get away. "What are you thinking?" he asked gently, as if the world around them could shatter at any moment.

"You were just a boy," she repeated her thoughts to him out loud.

He nods, not entirely sure of what she meant.

"And I was just this girl," she said as she laid her head back down on his chest. "And we were just children. Why wasn't that enough? How did we end up here?" She presses herself closer to him and waits for his response.

"I don't know," he said with a heavy sigh as he runs his hand up and down her arm. "But we're still here. That's the important part."

She doesn't quite accept his answer, but she doesn't say any more. The exhaustion has finally caught up to her and her eyes drifts close. Her mind begins to wander as she thinks of what it would have been like if she met Troy earlier- before the restless nights and cuts to her skin. She imagines herself as just a girl and him as just a boy.

And she can picture it: a boy and a girl just simply being themselves. How it should have been in a perfect world without grief, expectations and stress.

-TWLOHA-

There was an insistent ringing in his ear that he couldn't quite place. He tried to flip over and bury his head under the pillow, but stopped by the dead weight on his arm. his eyes drift open slowly as his eyes adjust to the dark room. For a minute, he forgets where he was and lives in ignorant bliss as he looks down at the girl in his arms. The moment quickly is taken from as the ringing continues again.

Troy carefully pulled his arm out from under the young woman's sleeping form. He scrambled around the room, trying to locate the noise. He finally fiound his phone underneath the bed and grimaced at the five missed calls from his mother. The numbers on the screen notifying him that it was just after midnight. He took a deep breath to prepare himself as he steps out on to the balcony.

Before he could mutter a greeting, his mother's voice filtered through his phone at full blast. "Mom. Mo-. M-" he tried to say over her screening and but has no success. "Mom!" he finally yelled, capturing her attention. "Mom, I'm really sorry that i didn't call." His mother launched into another rant. "Gabriella really needed me," he managed to get out over his mother's yelling. She finally stopped and he sighed loudly as he switched his phone to the other ear. "I'll be home in less than 20," he finally said and muttered an 'I love you,' before hanging up.

He walked back into the bedroom, locking the balcony door behind him. He gingerly walked back to the bed and stares adoringly at the young woman before him. Sweeping her hair up and out of her face, he dropped a kiss on to her forehead.

As much as it pained him to walk away from her, he knew that he had to. Not only because he is expected home shortly, but also so she had some time to think. At first, she may feel alone and confused, but he had confidence in her that she wont hurt herself again.

Troy made his way down the stairs, keeping his ears open for any sound of moment. From the bottom of the staircase, he noticed the lone light of the kitchen. He considered walking right passed the kitchen and out the front door, but decided against it as he attempted to imagine what must be going through the older Montez's head.

He approached the kitchen slowly, silently hoping that it would be empty. Poking his head around the corner, he spied the older woman hunched over the kitchen table.

"Ms. Montez," he began gently, not wanting to startle her, "I'm going to get going,"

Her hands quickly swipe away at the tears running down her face. She looks up finally, revealing her red and puffy eyes. "Is she sleeping?" she asked quietly

"Yes ma'am," he said as he adverted his eyes to the floor, "She actually fell asleep a while ago, but I nodded off for a bit."

"Thank you for taking care of her."

He simply nodded as he took a step forward, but then two steps back and he noticed the glossiness in her eyes. "I have to get going, but-"

"Do you have a moment?" she asked, the hesitation evident in her voice as she gestured to the empty seat in front of her.

With a simple nod, he takes small steps towards her and finally plants himself across from her. He waits for her to speak, not sure what more there was for him to say.

"What happened while I was gone?"

For a moment, Troy wasn't entirely sure that the question was directed at him. He opens his mouth to speak, but Ms. Montez beats him to it.

"I was only gone for a week," she muttered more to herself. "She was fine when I left. How did this happen so quickly?"

He sighed deeply and fought the urge to roll his eyes at the woman's naivety. "With all do respect, Ms. Montez, this isn't something that came out of the blue. From experience and what little Gabriella has said to me, this was a long time coming. It always just a matter of when."

"But she was fine!" she screamed exasperatedly. "Maybe she'd act a little moody towards me, but isn't that what teenagers do?" She doesn't wait for answer as she continues on her rant. "If I knew something was wrong, I would have stayed! I just don't understand how this could happen. I always thought she felt comfortable to come to with anything."

"And I'm sure there was a part of her that knew that, but didn't want to believe it," he said in the most comforting tone he could muster. "I know that she said some cruel things to you earlier, but I think she just needs time to cool down. She's just really angry and upset at the moment."

"So what am I suppose to do? Wait until she tries again?"

Her words sounded harsh to his ears and he couldn't help but feel his heart break at the mere thought. He shook his head as he joined his hands together on the tabletop and leans a bit closer. "Be there for her," he said simply. "That's what she needs and wants right now."

She nodded and opened her mouth several times, as if she wanted to say something but nothing seemed to come out. "Should I bring her to the hospital?" she finally asked in a voice so quiet that he almost doesn't hear her.

"I can't stop you if you wanted to, but I think she's safe for now, " he said as he looks down at his hands. "In all honestly, I think that she's too scared of failing to try a third time."

"What do you mean a third time? What was the first?" Her brown eyes widened and began to look glassy.

Before he could explain, a shrilling ring breaks the tension in the room, reminding the young man that he had his own mother to take care off. Patting his front pocket, he blindly tried to silence the noise. "I'm sorry, Ms. Montez, but I should really get going. My mom called a few times already."

The older woman's head nodded in understanding and she wiped furiously at her eyes once more. "Of course, of course. Thank you again and please do apologize to your mother for me."

Troy stood there for a moment longer, unsure if he should leave the woman in front of him alone. In that moment, he noticed the striking resemblance to the sleeping form upstairs. His heart broke for this distraught family. An idea popped into his head as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Withdrawing his hand with his pocket-sized notebook and pen. He jotted something down before cautiously approaching the woman.

Tearing the sheet of paper out of his notebook, he slid it across the wooden table to her. "I can only, imagine what's going through your head right now, Ms. Montez. If you're ever needing someone to talk to, I'm sure that my mother Lucy would be more than willing to listen."

"I, uh-" she paused as she slides the paper closer to her. "Thank you, Troy." She picks up the paper and slips it into her back pocket. With much effort, she finally pushes herself to a standing position. "Let me walk you out."

He nodded and allowed her to lead the way to the front door, even though he probably could walk there blindfolded.

"Thank you again," she said as she held the door open for him.

He nodded as he stood awkwardly under the front porch light. He thought all the times he stood in this very spot with the younger Montez woman. "Please just tell her to give me a call when she's ready," he said finally, before walking backwards from the house. He yells a goodnight over his shoulder before quickly getting into his truck. In the drivers seat, he looks back at the house and pictures Gabriella sleeping in her room. He remembers the look of content as she was getting some much needed rest.

Troy squeezed his eyes shut and rests his forehead against his steering wheels. By no means was he a religious man, but in that moment, he couldn't help but thank a higher power.

Despite all that happened that night, she was still alive and breathing. And in that moment, that was enough for now.

* * *

I know it has been years so I don't know if any of my original readers are still around. Personally, I was MIA from fanfic for a year or two but now I'm back. Thank you for reading and please review! I would love to know your thoughts! :) Next chapter should be up in a week. Message me constantly if I don't :P

Much Love,

Kae xx


	9. Garden of Exile

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

This is dedicated to the sweet reviewers of the last chapter:** Bluebell140, pumpkinking5, LA AngelxZV, and Jenny, who reviewed twice lol. Again, sorry for the wait!**

**Thank you to those that favorited (I know that's not a word, but just go with it lol) this story recently and favorited me as an author. It really does mean a lot to me. Shout out to: **EllaBieber20, justtoread321, LiveandLoveYourLife4Ever, **and** zanessa4evarxxxx. Thank you so much :)

* * *

She opened her eyes slowly to see the bright screen of her alarm clock screaming in red numbers that it was 6:29 in the morning. That revelation is enough to jostle her awake and throw the covers from over body. Her hands were fast at work as she began to tie her hair into a messy bun, when she felt the bed shift.

Gabriella looked over her shoulder and was startled to see her mother occupying the other half of the bed. _Well that's new, _she thought as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and started towards her closet. She blindly grabbed the first long sleeve shirt she sees and a pair of jeans from the shelves.

She walked into her in suite bathroom and her hand stilled over the light switch once it has been flipped on. Her dark eyes took in her surroundings: the still filled tub, the slightly damp bath rug and there, almost hidden, was her dear friend. She dropped to her knees, not minding the cold tile against her bare skin. Instinctively, she reached under the small space under the sink vanity for the thin scrap of metal.

Her hand froze mid-reach as she caught sight of her bandaged wrist. She stared at it for only a moment before she finally picked up the blade and sat back on the heals of her feet. She held it in her palm, watching as it matched up almost perfectly to a cut that's already there. Her eyes shifted between the blade and her wrist. With the blade still in her hand, she picked at the corner of the white gauze and tape to reveal 'LIES' in blood red letters.

_It's not actually that bad, _she thought as her finger ghosted over each letter. She ran a finger over the word a second time, but this time applied pressure. The skin is tender to the touch, but it doesn't hurt.

Without another thought, she gripped her good friend between her thumb and forefinger and underlined 'LIES.'

She frowned when she doesn't feel any ounce of relief. She looked at the blade and felt numb as she pushed her self to a standing position to lean against the sink. She smoothed the bandage back in place and lifts her eyes to the mirror.

Suddenly, it's like any other day. She saw the hollow eyes starring back at her and took a deep breath, then falls back into her regular morning routine. She's on auto-pilot now, not able to process what just happened.

"Gabriella?"

Her body froze as she neared the door she almost made it out of the room, completely unnoticed an ready to get her day over with. She doesn't turn around, but simply slings the strap of her over-sized purse over her shoulder and continues walking.

"Where are you going?"

The voice isn't demanding or angry. If anything, it's sad and similar to that of a little girl.

"School," she said without a second thought as she finally reached the door and grasped the cold handle. She heard rustling and soon can feel her mother's presence behind her. For some reason, she doesn't move. Part of her is curious about what's going to happen next.

"Gabriella, I don't thi-"

"Don't touch me," she snapped, quickly shrugging her mother's hand off of her shoulder. The curiosity is suddenly gone and is replaced by anger. She pulled the door open with more force than necessary. "I'm borrowing your car," she said, still not daring to turn around. She keeps calm as she makes her way to the front of the house. She isn't surprised that her mother hasn't come chasing after.

That's nothing new.

-TWLOHA-

By some miracle that she didn't think twice about, she had made it to her locker without a second glance by passing by faculty members. She slammed her locker shut and hurried to homeroom with her books clutched to her chest. As she approached the class, she can hear Mrs. Darbus in the midst of a lecture. With the door located towards the front of the room, she knew that she couldn't slip in unnoticed. She bit back her nerves as she walked as quietly as she could through the opened door.

"We release you at 2 PM every day and do not expect till 7:15 the next morning, I'm sure that somewhere between those hours, you can- Ms. Montez?"

Gabriella looked up shyly to see her homeroom teacher watching her with a hand on her hip. Before she could get a word out, the eccentrically dressed woman launched into another speech.

"My goodness!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "It's only Tuesday! I have falling asleep before I can start morning announcements, Ms. Montez is waltzing after the bell, and Mr. Danforth! Stop spinning that ball in my class!"

"Sorry, Mrs. D," Chad and Troy recited in unison and hung their heads in shame.

All eyes fell on her and she felt a small lump form in the back of her throat. "I-I am so sorry, Mrs. Darbus," she managed to get out. " I had issues with my car this morning. I can turn around and get a tardy slip from the attendance office."

Mrs. Darbus sighed and looked like she was ready to run a hand over her face, but stopped herself. "That's not necessary, Miss. Montez. Please just take your seat in front of Mr. Bolton."

"Yes ma'am," she muttered as she avoided that blue eyes that had locked on to her.

"And Miss. Montez? Please do not make tardiness a habit. Transportation issues are not an excuse."

Gabriella bit down on her bottom lip and nodded. When the older woman's eyes finally diverted from her, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She was starting to think that going to school was a bad idea. That thought was further supported when a note flew over her shoulder and landed on her desk, She gingerly opened the poorly folded note and wasn't surprised to see a familiar, messy scrawl.

_What are you doing here?_

She fought the urge to role her eyes and opted to crumple the note in her hand. Not a minute later, another note landed on her desk. She opened the note and was met with pink calligraphy. She looked over her shoulder to look at Sharpay, who sat to the right of Troy. The blonde looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and gestured to the note.

_Were you and Troy together last night?_

Guilt flooded her veins as she thought back to her friend's admittance of a crush. She swore to Sharpay that she didn't have any feelings for him, but after everything that happened in the past 24 hours, she knew that she couldn't deny it for much longer. She crumpled that note in her hand and looked over at her blonde friend once more. Before she could mouth an answer, her head snapped forward as her name was called.

"Yes, Mrs. Darbus?" she asked reflexively.

"Are you still planning on helping out with the play?"

She fought the urge to smack her own forehead. She forgot that she had volunteered weeks ago. Forcing a smile, she nodded. "Of course! When did you need me?"

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands together. "Meet us in the theater after school. It'll only be for a few hours."

She fought fight the smile on her face as she silently cursed herself for agreeing, At the moment, she felt completely drained of energy and it wasn't even 8 in the morning. She must have zoned out for the rest of the period because before she knew it, everyone was scrambling to get up around her. She gathered her stuff, including the crumpled notes, and slowly stood for her seat.

Reflexively, she turned to Sharpay so that they could walk to their next class together. She heard her giggles before she even looked up. Just a foot or two away from her, Sharpay and Troy were conversing. Her blonde friend was twirling a blonde strand of her around her finger as she clutched her books to her chest with the other hand.

The sight had a nauseating affect for her.

"Gabs," Sharpay called out, before she could turn away. "Don't you think Troy should help out after school too? It'll be fun!"

"Yeah," she answered absentmindedly, as she was more concentrated on looking anywhere, but into the blue eyes staring back at her. "C'mon, Shar. We got to get going."

"You're right," she said with a sad smile as she stepped around Troy. "I have to stop by my locker before class."

As she turned to walk away, she felt Troy grab her arm.

"Gabriella, can I talk to you first?" His voice was firm and his grip only tightened when she started to shake her head. "It'll only take a second."

She lifted her eyes from where he was holding her and looked into his eyes. That's when she caved. "Shar, go ahed. I'll see you in class," she said finally, without turning her head.

"Okay, see you."

Gabriella heard the hesitation in her voice and then clicking of her heels agains the linoleum. She broke their eye contact and her eyes fell to where he was still gripping her arm.

"Sorry," he muttered and then quickly dropped his hand. "I didn't expect to see you here,"

She kept her head bowed towards the grown and tightened the grip on her books. "Where else would I be? I have a test in sixth period."

"Really? That's what you're worried about?" A tone of disbelief was laced into his every word.

"What else is there?"

"My God, Gabriella," he groans with an exasperated sigh. "Last night-"

"Last night is done," she finished for him quickly, her eyes snapped up to lock on to his. "It happened and now it's over."

"But-"

"No." She placed a hand on his chest as he took a step towards her. "It's done. Can you please just let me move on? Please?"

"So you're just going to pretend it didn't happened?"

"Who said anything about pretending? I just want to move on from it. That's what i'm trying to do by being here."

"That's not dealing with it all!"

"I just-" she stopped mid speech and concludes with a grown of frustration. She turned away from him as she felt the tension build up in her eyes. She knew that if they continued this conversation any longer, she would surely end up in tears.

His arms instantly wrapped around her waist and he pressed a kiss against her hair. "I'm sorry," he muttered and then pressed a kiss to the shell of her ear. "I know not to push you, but I do it anyway."

She found it hard to speak so she opts to lean against the warmth of his body. There she feels safe and even loved. Her mind drifts to the night before, when he cradled her against his chest. She suddenly felt embarrassed and tried to pull away, but he only held her tighter. She cleared her throat and turned around in his arms.

"We should really get to class," she muttered, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Promise me one thing."

"What?"

Troy unwound one of his arms from her waist and placed his forefinger under her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "If today feels like too much, come find me and I'll take you home."

"Okay," she said slowly as she felt her eyes begin to fill again. She didn't know if it was the tone of his voice or maybe just his whole being, but she felt overwhelmed with emotion.

"Gabriella, I'm serious. Promise me that you will."

"I promise," she said, not even needing another second to think about it.

"Good," he muttered and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's get to class then," he said, after finally releasing her from his grasp. He took her books out of her hands and guided her out of the classroom.

She thought back to the millions of times that had walked down the halls of East High like this. His arm was draped over her shoulders and she molded into his side. The sea of students parted naturally for them, as always. People smiled at them politely as they passed. If it wasn't for the tightened grip around her, then it would have been like any other day. It wasn't in a possessive manner, but rather a protective one.

_Why can't he just give up?_ she thought to herself as she noticed the way his arm tightened with every step and every glance he threw her way. She wanted to pull away to create at least physical distance between them, but she felt that she couldn't. It wasn't the weight of his arm that kept her in place. She was simply tired of fighting.

With him.

With herself.

With life.

-TWLOHA-

Troy practically ran out the door the moment the bell had rung. About half the school was on their way to lunch, but he had other plans. The first place he decided to check was her locker.

No luck.

He was on his way to the library when he heard someone call for him. Turning around, he searched the hall for the source of that voice.

"Hoops!"

His eyes finally landed on his best friend for over 12 years, waiting by his locker.

"Hey man," he greeted, as they exchanged the handshake they perfected in middle school. "What's up?"

"Just waiting for Taylor. She had to talk to one of her teachers. You heading to lunch?"

"I'm actually looking for Gabriella. Have you seen her?"

"I think I saw her headed to the Science wing, so I'm going to guess the roof."

Troy resisted slapping a hand to his face. _I should of looked there first. _He thought to himself and gave his friend a curt not. He started to walk backwards and opened his mouth to speak when Chad grabbed on to his forearm.

"Hold up, man. I wanted to talk to you something."

He arched an eyebrow at his friend and readjusted his backpack hanging off his one shoulder. He stepped closer, Chad dropping his hand and shuffling his feet. He was surprised by the serious look on his friends face. "Are you all right?"

"I think the real question is: are you?"

"I'm fine. Why would you think something is wrong?"

"Well, if I'm being honest, you look like shit. Plus, you seem like you've been on edge lately."

Troy ran a hand through his floppy hair. He was exhausted from last night, but he didn't think he looked that bad. "I just had a really rough night."

"You sure that's it?" Chads asked, shooting him a knowing look.

"There's just some stuff going on with Ga-" He stopped himself from finishing his sentence, knowing that he would get in trouble with the brunette in question if she found out. "Grandma," he added, wincing slightly at how it sounded to his own ears. His best friend shot him another look of disbelief. "Okay, it has to do with Gabriella."

"Is she-" He started and made a gesture of a rounded stomach.

Troy's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he punched his friend in the hand. "No! How could you think that?"

Chad raised his hand to scratch his afro. "Someone from Gabi's neighborhood let it out that you left her house past might last night. Then there's another rumor that it isn't the first time."

"Well, she's not and we're not."

"But you were at her house last night?"

"That part is true, but it's not what you think." He adds the last part quickly. "She's going through something and it has nothing to do with me. I'm just trying to help her through it. I wish I could tell you more about it, but I can't."

"Okay, man, I get it. But are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Chad. I'm just stressed."

"Are you uhmm-" he trailed off and shuffled his feet once more. "Are you still seeing that doctor?"

He stared at him for a second before it clicked in his head. "I am, but I won't be for much longer," he said with a small grin.

"You mean?"

"Mmhmm," he hummed with a curt nod. "They're staring to wean me off my meds."

"That's great man," he said with a matching nod. "Are you ready for that?"

"I think I am because I'm in a so much better place then when I started."

"I'm really happy to hear that," he said, clapping his hand on his shoulder. "You know, if you need to talk about anything, you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah, I know, thank you for that." Troy gives his friend another smile. "I really need to go find Gabs, so I'll see you later?"

"Go find your girl," he said with a smirk, earning another punch to his shoulder.

"Shut up, man," he shoots back, fighting his own smile. They exchanged a brief hug before taking off down the hall. Turning down the hall, he caught sight of a familiar brunette just a few feet away.

"Troy!" she screamed down the hallway, catching the attention of a few students still loitering around the hall.

"Taylor!" he shouted back. "Chad's waiting for you by his locker."

"Funny," she began with a slight smirk as she comes stand in front of him, "because Gabi's waiting for you on the roof."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise for a second before he pulled his friend in a quick hug. "I better not keep her waiting then." Before he could step away, she gripped his wrist lightly.

"Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm worried about, Gabs," she muttered, dropping his wrist and crossing her arms.

"Why? Did she seem hurt?" Panic filled his body and he fought the urge to completely run up to the roof.

"No, she's not physically hurt or anything. She just seems off. I actually noticed it this past two weeks, I just didn't know how to ask her."

"Don't worry about her, Tay. I'm going to check on her." He gave her another quick hug, offering just a bit of comfort. "But do you know what you can do?"

"What?"

"Next time you see her, just let her know that you're there for her. That's all she needs."

"I will," she said with a small nods an offers a small smile. "I better not keep Chad waiting any longer."

"See ya, Tay." He waited for her to turn around the corner and took another look around to make sure no teachers were watching. The coast was clear and so he sprinted the last few feet to the door that led to his secret getaway. He all but threw the door of its hinges and darted up the stairs. "Gabs," he called up, "you up here?"

No answer.

At the top of the stairs, he didn't see her on the bench or near the railing of the roof. He walked out from under the awning. He scans his surroundings quickly and spots a small figure lying on one of the bench-like structures spread out on the roof. One hand is thrown over her arm and the other hangs down beside her. With only the purest of intentions, he watches as her chest rises an falls.

_She's okay,_ he thinks to himself. _She's breathing._

"Are you just going to stand there?"

"Maybe," he shot back, but lifts her legs and places them over his lap and sits down in their place. "Taylor told me you were looking for me."

She hummed in agreement and stretched her hands towards him.

He got the hint and pulled her to a sitting position. When she attempted to slip her legs off of his lap, he stopped them with the hand that wasn't entwined with hers. He followed her gaze and realized that she was starring at their entwined hands. His fingers ghost over the bandage on her left wrist and her hand instantly tenses, but she doesn't pull away. He peels back one of the corners, just to see how it's healing.

"It didn't even hurt," she said softly that he almost didn't hear it,

He is about to question what she was talking about, but then he sees it- a thin line that wasn't there last night.

"This morning, when I walked into the bathroom, it felt like a dream. I saw the tub and the wet rug so I knew what happened last night, but it's like I can't feel anything. I'm not angry or sad or anything. I'm just here and going through motions."

"Maybe you're still trying to wrap your head around all of this?" He suggested as he watched her shrug in response and continued to trace the lines on his palms, Without warning, she pushed up his right sleeve and frowned.

"Did you do this because of me?" she asked as she traced a familiar red line.

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "I didn't do it because of you," he said as he nudged her chin gently so that she had no choice, but to look at him. He noted how her brown eyes looked as wide as ever, giving her the face of innocence.

"I thought you stopped."

"I did stop."

"But it looks new!" she practically screeched, the frustration evident in her tone. "See? I'm bad for you! You're starting to feel better and I just stir up all your old feelings. I am not what you need right now."

"Gabriella, " he began in a firm tone. "I didn't do that because of you."

"Then why would you start again?"

"When I got home last night, I couldn't sleep. I tried almost everything to get myself to fall asleep, but after an hour, I still couldn't sleep. So I pulled out one of my favorite books and one of my old razors fell out. I don't even remember keeping one there. Before I really gave it a second thought, I did it."

"Do you regret it now?"

"No."

"No?"

Troy nodded and a slight smile graced his lips as he watched how her eyebrows knitted together. He linked their hands together and kissed the back of her hand. "I don't regret it because it hurt."

"What?"

"As soon as that blade touched my skin, it hurt. I waited it out a bit, waiting for that relief to wash over me, but it never did. The cut just hurt and it wasn't like how I remembered, It just didn't feel good, you know?"

She doesn't speak, but she drops her gaze.

"Looking back, I can't remember how it ever felt good. Gabriella, look at me." Hesitantly, he watched her raised her head."Don't think for a second that you are bad for me."

"But how can you look at me and not feel weighed down by all my shit?"

"I see a bit of myself when I look at you, or at least how I was. I remember feeling hurt and going through the motions of life. I also remember feeling lonely, no matter how many people were around me, It was the worst feeling and I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially not you."

"And what makes me so special?"

"Really? We're going to go through this again?" He scooted closer so that she was practically on his lap. He raised his free hand to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear and then rested it gently on her neck. "I really care about you and want only the best for you." Before he could comprehend was happening, her lips were pressed to his. The kiss was soft, unlike their first kiss, and it lasted for only a second. "What was that for?" he asked as soon as she pulled away.

A blush graced her cheeks and dropped her forehead on to his shoulder. "I don't know."

"Well, I wouldn't mind if you did it again," he joked as he slipped one arm around her back and one under knees so he could pull her fully onto his lap.

"Troy, I like you."

He barely heard her as he felt her nuzzled her face into the curve of his neck. "I like you too," he said with a smile, tightening his arms around her.

"But we can't be anything, at least not now."

"I've been waiting for you for about a year now. What's another couple of weeks, months, hell, even a year?" He craned his neck to kiss the side of her head. "I just want to be here for you and be whatever you need."

They stayed wrapped up in each other for a few minutes. He heard her take a few deep breaths and he smiled at the thought that she was taking in his sent. He'd drop the occasional kiss on her head and traced invisible patterns on her lower back.

"I forgot to ask," he began, breaking their quiet moment, "why did you want to meet me up here?"

"I was going to tell you that I was going home, but-"

"But?"

"But I think I'll stay."

"And what made you change your mind?"

"You," she said simply as she clings to him just a bit tighter. "Thank you for for making me feel not so alone."

"You'll get through this and I'll be beside you the whole time." He punctuated his statement with another kiss to the top her head. He tightened his own grip as he relishes in the feel of her in his arms and hopes that she feels a bit more optimistic than she did that morning.

* * *

_**This ended completely different than how I imagined it a week ago, but I'm pretty happy with it.**_  
_**Thank you for reading and please review.**_

_**Oh and here's a little bonus for y'all: There's a link between the title of each of the chapters of this story. Leave a guess as to what it is and leave a brief description of a scene you want to see. If you guess correctly, I'll try to incorporate your scene as best as I can. It can be a scene between Troyella, their friends or even their parents. Give it your best shot!**_

_**Okay, now I'm done. Have a good rest of your week! I have about 6 hours before I have to get up for a 8 plus hour shift at work.**_

_**Much Love,  
**__**Kae xx**_

_**To Jenny: **_Thank you for taking the time to leave an anonymous review twice :) I'm sorry it was a bit late but last week was kind of hectic for me so I didn't get a chance to write. I actually don't live in the Philippines, by the way, I'm from the states. But it's always nice to meet another Filipino. Hope you liked this chapter!


	10. Broken Arrow

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

This is dedicated to the sweet reviewers of the last chapter:** LA AngelxZV, Jenny, AngKeats, and pumpkinking5. You all are so awesome!**

**Shout out to the following people for adding this story to your favorites list and/or me: **charlottedean98** and **LA AngelsxZV.**  
**

* * *

"Hi there," he whispered into her ear as he slipped his arms around her from behind. The final bell had rung just minutes ago and the halls were flooded with students eager to leave.

"Troy," she scolded as she tried to pry his arms off her. "People are going to get the wrong idea."

"They already have the wrong idea," he said with a slight shrug. He kissed her cheek sweetly before finally letting go, his arms falling to his side. "Besides, it's not like I haven't done that before."

"I know," she said with a bit of a huff. "But for some reason, I'm getting twice as many glares today."

A smirk fell on his lips as he leaned against the closed locker besides hers. "You didn't hear?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Hear what?"

"Apparently, you're pregnant and we're getting married over spring break."

"What!" She screeched as she slammed her locker shut. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," he said, his lips popping at the second syllable.

"Why- How- Where- What?"

He bit back a laugh as she tried to form a proper question and looked up at him with wide eyes. He draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him as they walked down the hall. "You have some really nosy neighbors."

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone saw me leaving your house last night and rumors kind of spread from there."

She groaned and covered her face with her hands "This is mortifying. I just want to die." She felt the weight on her shoulders disappear and so she spun around on her heels. "What is it?" she asked with a slight frown, matching his.

"You shouldn't say things like that."

"I was joking," she said as she stepped closer to him.

"Well, I'm not laughing."

"Troy," she said softly as she tried to uncross his arms from over his chest. "I didn't mean it like that. You know that."

"Do I?"

She bit her lip and looked around for anyone that might be listening. The halls were almost empty with just a few stragglers. Still, she took step forward and lowered her voice. "I didn't mean it," she repeated. "If you need more convincing, then fine. But just not here, okay?"

He blew out a breath and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he muttered as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Sometimes I just worry too much." He felt her nod into his chest and even tighten her grip around his waist. "C'mon," he said as he smiled and released her just enough so she wouldn't have to walk backwards, "let's get you to Darbus."

"You're not helping out?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Please?" she pleaded, "Just an hour or two?"

"Fine," he replied in a slightly exaggerated tone. "But you have to help me with my Chemistry homework later."

"It's a deal."

"I just need to let my mom know, she gets paranoid when I don't tell her when I'm coming home late." He reached into the back of his pocket and slipped out his phone. He saw that he had a few missed calls from his mother and another number that he didn't know. "Do you know whose number that is?" he asked as he showed her his phone.

"That's my mom's."

"Why would she call me?"

"It's probably because I left my cell at home."

"Why don't you call her back? She called like 5 times since school got out." Just as the words left his lips, his phone lit up to show that he was receiving an incoming call. "Answer it," he said, as he held the phone out for her.

"I can't," she said as she shoved the phone back to him. "I was kind of mean to her when I left this morning. Please, just answer it, but don't tell her you're with me."

Sighing, he slid his thumb across the screen and then brought it to his ear. "Hello?" he breathed into the phone. "Oh, hi Ms. Montez. How are you?" He nodded his head to her words and stopped to lean against a nearby locker.

Gabriella stood in front of him as she bit down on her bottom lip and played with the frayed edges of her long sleeve.

"Gabriella? No, she's not with me. I think she mentioned that she's helping Mrs. Darbus after school." With his free hand, he reached out to stop her fidgeting and linked their hands together. "Okay, I'll let her know, Ms. Montez. Bye."

"Well?" she asked with a wide-eyed expression.

"Your mom is apparently with my mom."

"Really?"

He hummed in agreement as he slipped his phone back in his pocket so he could take her other hand in his. " She wanted me tell you to come home now, or she'd make a big seen about dragging you out of here."

"She wouldn't do that."

"I don't know. She sounded pretty serious."

"That's a first," she said with a slight scoff.

"Gabriella," he said in a warning tone. "She's trying to understand, please just help her."

She doesn't speak for a moment or two as she weighed her options. "Fine," she muttered as she dropped her head against his chest.

"That's my girl," he said with a slight grin as he placed a kiss at the crown of her head. "C'mon, I'll drive you."

"Actually," she began ash pulled away slightly from his body, "I drove here this morning, so I'm good."

"Okay, I'll just follow you to your house then."

"No, I think I should probably do this alone."

"Are sure?" he asked, somewhat surprised by her slightly confident attitude.

She nodded and then surprised him by kissing him on the cheek. "But there is something you could do for me."

"Just say the word."

"Stay here to help out Darbus in my absence?"

He groaned and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "But I only agreed because you were going to be there."

"I know, but I feel bad for bailing on Darbus. Besides, Sharpay will be there to keep you company."

"But she's not you."

She smiled softly at his words and leaned up to kiss him again, but this time on the lips. "Please, Troy?"

"Okay, I'll do it, but you owe me one."

"I promise to help you in Chemistry and Pre-Calc."

"It's a deal, " he said, repeating her words from earlier. He release one of her hands and brought his hand to cup her cheek. "Call me if you need me, okay?"

"I wouldn't think twice."

Troy ran the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip and then swooped down to kiss her. She responded instantly and even smiled against his lips.

This felt normal.

This felt right

-TWLOHA-

He wanted to ram him head into the wall. That would be at least be more exciting than what he was doing. He sat in the back of the auditorium as Mrs. Darbus paced about the stage, droning on and on about the sanctity of the arts. To his right, Sharpay was giving him the detailed summary of the upcoming play. Every few minutes, he'd check his phone.

Still no word from Gabriella.

"What?" he asked somewhat startled as he almost dropped his phone. He looked up to see Sharpay staring down at him with her hand propped on her hip. "What's happening?"

She rolled her eyes at him and stepped around him so she could walk onto the auditorium isle. "Darbus wants us to come forward so she can distribute tasks," she said as she walked away.

"You're being sassier than normal," he commented as he came to stand behind her.

She threw a glare over her shoulder before returning her attention to the eccentric woman in the front.

"Mr. Bolton, I didn't expect to see you here."

He gave his teacher a sheepish smile and slight shrug. "Gabriella had something important come up at home, so she asked if I could take her place."

"Well, how unfortunate for Ms. Montez, but how fortunate for the theater. Miss. Evans?"

When Sharpay didn't reply at once, he gave her a slight nudge forward. "Who's not paying attention now," he teased, earning a stab to his shin by what he assumed was her heel. "Sharpay!"

"Yes, Mrs. Darbus?" she asked sweetly, completely ignoring the annoyed boy behind her.

"Use 's height to our advantage. Take the banners out of the prop closet and hang them around the school."

"Is the ladder in there too?"

"It should be. If it isn't, then it should be on stage right."

She nodded and began to walk away from the small crowd. "Just don't stand there, Bolton," she said without a glance over her shoulder.

Without a word, he followed her to the backstage area. He watched as she fished through her purse for a set of keys and unlocked the door.

"Grab the ladder, it's way in the back," she said as she moved a few things around.

He nodded as he pushed up his sleeves to his elbows and stepped over a few things scattered on the floor. He moved a door off of its hinges and was able to lift the metal ladder with ease. He could feel tension in the air, but he tried to attributed it to the stuffy closet. _She was more talkative this morning, _he thought as he exited the closet with the ladder in hand.

She walked out of the closet just a few moments later. She juggled the rolled up banners, scissors and duct tape in her hands as she locked the door.

"Where do we start?" he asked as she led him out of the drama corridors without a word.

"Cafeteria."

Her one worded response made him frown. "Shar, is everything okay?"

"Just peachy."

"Slow down," he said as he tried to keep up with her quick strides while carrying the ladder. Against his pleas, she walked faster. He rolled his eyes and finally caught up with her at the end of the hall, just outside the cafeteria doors.

"The banner needs to be just above the entrance," she explained as she began to unroll one of the banners.

He nodded as he began to set up and position the ladder. "Shar, how long have we been friends?" he asked as he noticed that she had yet to look at him.

"Since grade school."

"Since grade school," he echoed as he watched her cut up strips of duct tape. "Don't you think, by now, I would have picked up on a few things about you?"

"Obviously not," she muttered as she finally turned to face him. "Go ahed and climb up the ladder and then I'll hand it to you. Use the door frame's edge as a guideline to get it straight."

"Sharpay."

"Bolton, I've got shit to do, so let's speed this up," she snapped as she gave him a slight shove towards the ladder. "Besides, I'm sure you're just dying to run off to Gabriella."

He couldn't place the tone of her voice. It sounded almost bitter to his ears, leaving him completely baffled. Not knowing what to say, he climbed up the ladder and took the corner of the banner from her outstretched hands. He positioned the edge of the banner and smoothed down the tape that Sharpay had previously cut. "How does that look?" he asked, his right hand still stretched out.

"Troy."

His ears perked up when he heard the way she softly said his name. "Yeah?"

"What happened to your wrist?"

"Shar, I can-"

"You promised you stopped."

Hastily, he climbed down the ladder and looked at his friend of almost 10 years. "Shar, I kept my promise," he said as he noted the way her eyes began to water.

"First you and then Gabriella. I still don't understand how both of you could do that to yourselves."

The words flew out of her mouth so fast that he almost didn't catch it. But he did catch it and when the words finally clicked in his mind, he felt his anger begin to boil. "Wait, what about Gabriella?"

"She cuts too," she said as she stopped her pacing and turned to face him. "Or she at least told me she was getting help. But today, I noticed a bandage on her wrist so I'm not sure."

"When did you find out?" He still didn't raise his voice.

"A few weeks ago, but no more than 2 months."

"You knew," he began, biting back his anger. "You knew all this time, but didn't say anything?"

"She swore she was getting help!"

"And what? You never asked her about it again?"

"She seemed fine!"

"But you didn't do anything about it!" he shot back, matching her irritated tone. "What kind of friend does that?"

"Really?" she said with a slight laugh. She glared at him as she placed her hand on her popped out hip. "You want to question my quality of friendship? Tell me, Troy, what kind of friend goes after a guy that she knows her friend likes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She told me that she didn't have feelings for you," she muttered as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "How could you be so blind?"

Her confession left him dumbfounded and opted to remain quiet as she continued on.

"I have been in love with you since middle school. Remember when we used to spend all night talking about the most random shit?"

He nodded, still not knowing the right thing to say.

"I know we drifted a bit when we started high school because you had basketball and I had theatre, but we were still Krystina passed away," she paused, her voice wavering for just a second, "and I was there for you every step of the way. You talked to me because you knew Chad and Ryan wouldn't understand the emotional stuff."

"Shar-"

"I'm sorry, this is stupid," she said as she swiped at a tear that had fallen down her cheek. "I have to go."

He called after her and when she was halfway down the hall, he began to chase after her. When she was within arm's reach, he pulled her back by the strap of her purse. "I had no idea." As soon as the words left his lips, he knew that it wasn't what she wanted to hear. He was about to elaborate further, when he heard his ringtone echo around them.

"You should answer that," she said quietly. "It might be Gabriella."

Pulling out his phone, he glanced at it for just a second before bringing to his ear. "Hey, are you alright? No, I'm not doing anything important." He winced at his poor word choice as he noticed the look of pain that flashed over her features. "Yeah, I know exactly where that is. I'll see you soon."

He dropped his gaze, not wanting to see the pain he caused. "I have to go, I'm really sorry Shar."

"It's whatever," she muttered and walked away.

-TWLOHA-

Troy pulled up in-front of the familiar building with ease. It was a single office space with limited parking by the curb in-front. He walked through the door without hesitation and was instantly greeted by an elderly woman.

"Troy, I didn't see you on the schedule today."

"Hey, Ms. Mary," he said with a small smile. "I know I don't have an appointment today. I'm actually here for a friend. Gabriella Montez?"

"Oh, honey, you know I can't divulge patient information."

"I know, I know. How about this, may I use the restroom?"

She let out a laugh and shook her head at his antics. "Go ahead, sugar. You know where it is."

"Thank you Ms. Mary," he said with a grin and took off down the hall. He passed a few closed doors and jogged up a short flight of stairs. "Gabs?" He noticed her in the corner of the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head bent down.

Collapsing on the couch beside her, she looked up with a startled expression. "Oh, hey."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she naturally molded into his side. "So, what's going on?"

"When I got home, mom surprised me with an appointment with a psychiatrist. We got here and mom talked to Dr. Gibson first as I filled out this questionnaire. When I was done, she told me to come into the room. It was awkward and she asked me all these questions. It was going alright, i guess, but then she asked me if I ever attempted suicide. That's when mom jumped in and told the doctor what happened last night."

"Don't be mad, Gabs. If Dr. Gibson is going to help, she had to know."

"I know, but it was just so-" She stopped mid-sentence and let out a groan of frustration.

"So what happened next?"

"She wanted to speak to Mom alone again so that's when I left to call you."

"Why do you sound so anxious? The hard part is over."

"I don't know, I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't shake."

"It's going to be alright, babe, stop your worrying."

He felt her nod against his shoulder and he just held her tighter. They fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for the doctor and her mom to walk out. The pair sat up a bit straighter as they heard the door open,

"Gabriella, you can come back in now."

She stood up and took a step forward before turning back to look at him. "Is it okay if Troy come in too?"

"If that's what you want."

He took her outstretched hand and followed her into the room he had been in so many times before. He gave a curt nod to Ms. Montez as she paced the small office.

"Gabriella," the doctor began as she sat down in her chair, folding her hands together on top of the desk. "From what you and your mother have told me, both together and separate, I am extremely concerned about your wellbeing." She paused and shuffled the papers a bit on a desk. "The questionnaire I had you fill out was a way to quantify your feelings. It gives me almost a tangible score so that I know where you stand."

Troy nodded as he vaguely remembered taking the questionnaire himself. That's when he was formally diagnosed with major depression and general anxiety disorder. At the time, he knew he was depressed, it was just surreal to hear from a professional's mouth. He watched as Gabriella kept her head bent down and played with the peeling corner of her bandage.

"If I take that into consideration and the incident from last night, I can't in good conscience allow you to go home."

His head snapped forward, as soon as the words were in the open air. He was about to question it when the brunette beside him beat him to it.

"What do you mean I can't go home?"

"I've discussed it with your mother and we both think that it's your best interest. You've had two attempts in such a short timeframe."

"Last night was the only time, I swear," she pleaded as her eyes welled up with tears.

"And what about the car accident?"

"I didn't mean it!"

"Gabs," he cooed as he rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down. "Is this really necessary?"

"I'm afraid so."

"You can't do this!"

"Actually," the elder woman said, removing her reading glasses and placing them on the desk, "I can. As a mental health provider, I can put you in up to a 72 hour hold if I think you're a danger to yourself or others."

"I won't do anything, I promise. Please, you can't have me committed."

"I'm not having you committed, Gabriella. I just want you under a thorough psychiatric evaluation for at least 24 hours. When your 24 hours are up and if everything checks out, I'll release you and the only time you'll have to see me is for appointments in this office."

Troy scooted his chair a bit closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders like he had done so many times before. "It's okay, you'll be okay," he muttered as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Troy," she cried, "I promise I won't do anything."

He dropped his voice so she could only hear him and said, "I know you won't, so convince them that you want to get better." He raised his head, seeing the solemn look the doctor was giving them. "Do you have to call an ambulance or something to bring her there?"

"No, you guys can take her. I have already made arrangements with the hospital, so they'll be expecting her. Gabriella," she paused, only speaking when the young brunette finally looked up, "I'm not trying to punish you. This might even seem extreme to you, but it's necessary."

"Sweetheart," Ms. Montez said in a shaky voice, "let's go so we can pack some things for you."

Troy was able to coax the girl in question to stand and allowed her to lean against him for support.

"Remember what I said: no clothing with removable drawstrings, shoelaces or metal."

"Yes, doctor," she said with a slight nod. "We will see you in an hour."

"See you soon," she said as she stood as well.

Troy guided her out the room and down the flight of stairs. He offered a weak smile to receptionist, who looked at them with knowing eyes.

"Gabriella, we parked this way," Ms. Montez said with a nod in the opposite direction.

"I want to ride with Troy."

"Sweetheart, I'm sure he has better things to do than-"

"Actually, I don't," he said, quickly cutting her off. "There's nothing more important than this - than Gabriella - right now."

Ms. Montez sighed and gave a polite smile to the young man that had been by his daughter's side since the beginning. Her eyes swept over Gabriella, who had yet to look at her. She took a step forward and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I'm only doing this because I love you. This is too big for just me and you and even Troy to handle. I love you, Gabriella."

"We'll be right behind you, Ms. Montez."

"Thank you, Troy," she said quietly as she walked in the other direction.

He led them to his truck and helped her into the passenger side. She sat with her head facing forward and her hands perched in her lap. Just as he was about to close the door, she called his name softly.

"Is this what it has come to?" she asked, turning her head slightly to look at him.

For moment, he is transported back to that night when he found her waiting for him in that sheriff's car. Her eyes were the darkest he had seen in awhile and she didn't look like she had any more tears to cry.

"Am I so broken that I need to be in a hospital to be fixed?"

"Gabriella," he began, drawing out the letters of her name as he gently grabbed her thigh to turn her so she was fully facing him. "Answer me truthfully: do you regret last night?"

"Yes." she said without a second thought.

"Then tell them that," he said as he gripped both sides of her face and leant his forehead against hers. " Let them know that you want to keep living. That is what you want, right?"

"Right."

"Repeat after me: I'm not broken."

"I'm not broken," she echoed and for once, she believed it.

* * *

Don't hate me, I know it seems crazy. I know it the state of California and Florida people can be placed on a psychiatric hold so it's not too far of a stretch for Gabriella, considering what she has been through.

Speaking of a stretch, think we can break 100 reviews before the next chapter? I know it would make my day lol

Just a head's up, this story may have 1 or 2 chapters left, depending on how I feel. Like the scene with the psychiatrist, that was completly not in my story outline origionally. Let's see if creativity strikes. XD

Have a good weekend and thank you for reading!

Much Love,

Kae xx

To **Jenny**: Thank you for the review. I don't mind you being impatient, that must mean you really like it, right? Lol and ohmygosh, I think I was your age when I got my fanfic account and here I am 8 years laters. I feel old lol don't rush growing up.

To **AngKeats**: Yes! I'm back! Always good to see a familiar name XD I hoped you liked this chapter and I love your enthusiasm for this story. Lol I have my own Troy but sometimes, I wish I had this one as well


	11. Be Mine

WARNING: This story contains themes of depression, SI (self-injury) and suicide.

I dedicate this chapter to one of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing: **Luc** (or Luc91 on here). We met through FanFic and through the years, she has helped me more than I could ever imagine. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her, that's how much she has impacted my life. And all I can hope for someone struggling with depression or self-injury has someone like her. Thank you for everything.

This is dedicated to the sweet reviewers of the last chapter:** Bluebell140, Jenny, LA AngelxZV, silvermist92, Ceciliaa93, LivexxLaughxxLovexx **and **pumpkinking5. **Again, thank you so much for helping me hit that 100 mark with this story. Reviews aren't everything but that's 100+ notes of knowing that what I wrote was enjoyed. So again, thank you.

**Shout out to the following people for adding this story to your favorites list and/or me: **csinylover90,** and **Bakerjr.

* * *

True to Dr. Gibson's word, she was only on a 24-hour hold. As soon as her nurse walked in to her room that late afternoon and announced her release, her mother came rushing into the room with a huge smile. Her nurse smiled at the sight and politely excused herself from the room.

"Hi sweetheart," her mother greeted finally, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hey mom," she replied as she couldn't help, but smile.

"How'd you sleep last night?"

"Terribly. I just watched the clock for most of the night."

"I'm sorry, honey," she said as she reached a hand to smooth out her daughter's hair. "Hopefully, you'll get a better sleep tonight since you;ll be in your own bed."

"I hope so too," she said, rolling out her wrist that had been restrained for 24 hours. "Do I get to leave yet?"

"Well, I signed your discharge papers, but the doctor has to sign off on it before you can officially go."

She nodded as she subconsciously raised a hand to comb out the the knots in her hair.

Seeing this, Ms. Montez raised a hand to her own hair to release it from her hair tie. "Turn around sweetheart, let me braid you hair."

She obediently followed, turning her back to her mother and crossing her legs in the process. She suddenly felt like a little kid again as she couldn't remember the last time her mom had done this.

"Your hair is getting so long," she commented as she gathered the at the crown to begin her french braid. "It may be time for a hair cut. I'll call the hair stylist and we'll set something for this weekend. We can even make a day out of it."

"That would be nice," she said, somewhat taken back by the warmth radiating from her mother.

"Sweetheart, things are going to be different now," she began, her hands still at work at taming her daughter's hair.

"I'm going to be home a lot more."

"But what about your job?"

"I already spoke to my boss and I'll be doing a lot more local flights. It'll also mean more flights during the day for shorter times, but it'll also mean that I'll be home for dinner every night."

"But you love traveling!"

"I do, but I love my daughter more."

"I'm sorry that you have to sacrifice your career for me."

"Don't apologize, sweetheart," she scolded as she tied off the end of the braid and draped it over her daughter's shoulder.

She felt the bed shift behind her, followed by her mother's arm wrapped around her.

"I may be a flight attendant, but I'm also a mother. And that job is more important to me than dictating flight instructions to strangers. I'm sorry that i ever forgot that."

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby. I love you."

"Love you too," she muttered as she relaxed in her mother's remained like that for a few minutes, before she felt her mother pull away with a final kiss to her head. She watched as her mother pulled out her phone and frown. "Is everything okay?"

"Just a few missed calls and texts," she said with a forced smile. "I'll be right back, sweetheart. I'm just going to give Dr. Gibson a ring to see when she's coming by."

Gabriella nodded and watched as her mother scurried out of the room. She took the moment to swing her legs over the edge of the bed and allowed her bare feet to touch the cold linoleum. Her body ached as she was able to walk around the room, almost tripping over her somewhat long yoga pants. For the first half of her time in the hospital, she had been physically restrained to her bed. After much convincing, they removed her restraints, but she didn't get up much from her bed.

"Knock, knock."

She whipped around and instantly smiled at the sight of a certain blue-eyed boy. "What are you doing here?" she asked in amazement as she watched him extend the bouquet towards her.

"I heard you were coming home today," he said with a grin as he came to a stop in front of her.

"They're beautiful," she mused as she stared down at the arrangement of purple lilies.

"Only the best for you," he said as he took the bouquet out of her hands and laid it on the nearby bed. "Come here," he muttered as he pulled her into a hug.

She melted into him and smiled as she felt him kiss the top of her head. "Don't you have basketball practice?"

"Not today," he sung as he pulled away. He pinched the shirt that drowned her small framed and smirked. "Nice shirt."

She blushed as she fingered the grey wildcat t-shirt that didn't belong to her. "You left it that one day you were helping me with the kitchen sink," she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "I just wanted something comfy for when I was here."

"Yeah," he said as he stooped to her level to catch her line of sigh, "well, you can keep it. It looks good on you." Linking their hands together, he gave her quick peck on the lips."You ready to go home?"

"I was ready 24 hours ago," she joked as she sat down on the bed, pulling him to sit beside her.

"So what did you do in your time? Soul searching?" he joked, earning a small laugh.

"Something like that," she said as she played with his fingers in her lap. "It was all just really exhausting."

"Besides the exhaustion, did you get anything out of it?"

"I guess," she said with a small shrug and leaned into his side. "Being in here made me sort of realize that I never want to be here again."

"Here? As is the psych ward?"

"Yes, but also, at this low point in my life. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be in here and I'm going to do everything I can to prevent that from happening again."

"I'm so proud of you," he muttered into her hair before he placed a kissed there, tightening his arms around her shoulders.

"Hey, you two."

The pair turned as best they could without breaking contact. Upon seeing that Ms. Montez was not alone, they stood up and made their way to meet them.

"Sweetheart," Ms. Montez began with an apologetic smile, "I have to take care of something before you go home, would you be okay with me leaving for a bit? I already spoke to Dr. Gibson about your discharge plans."

"Is everything alright?"

"Nothing to worry about, sweetheart," her mother stated as she walked into arm's length. She gave her daughter's shoulder a comforting squeeze and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back to pick you up."

"I can take her home, Ms. Montez," Troy said with a shy smile. "If that's okay?"

"Of course, it is. If it's not too much trouble."

"More than happy to help, Do you mind if I take her out to get an early dinner?"

"That's fine, I'll see you at home then sweetheart." She smiled at the teens and turned to shake the hand of Dr. Gibson, who still stood at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, doctor. Thank you." She flashed her daughter another smile before finally making her exit.

"Tomorrow?" Gabriella echoed, a look of worry washing over her features.

"Relax a bit, Gabriella," Dr. Gibson said with a small smile as she approached them and gestured towards the two chairs by her bedside. "Let's get more comfortable and I'll explain." She took a seat and Gabriella followed suit.

"I'll wait outside," Troy offered, jerking his head towards the door.

Before he even takes a step away, she pulls his hand towards her. "Is it okay if he stays?"

"Whatever makes you more comfortable."

One look from her pleading eyes and he knew he couldn't walk away. He left the brunette's side long enough to gather the extra from the other side of the room so that they formed a small triangle.

"Tell me, since I saw you this morning, how are you feeling?" Dr. Gibson asked as she crossed her legs and flipped through the papers attached to her clipboard.

"I'm feeling okay and I think going home will make me feel even better."

"I know you're eager to get home, but I need a real answer from you."

The brunette was taken a back by firmness in the doctor's voice and the tense facial expression to glanced over at Troy for a second, only to see the same look. Letting out a sigh, she looked back up at her doctor. "I don't know if I'm okay or not," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "But I do know that I am sorry for what I did and for the pain I caused my mother and Troy."

"So you're experiencing guilt?"

"Yes," she said, only to mutter a curse word as it left her lips. "But not enough for me to want to hurt myself again."

"Would that include cutting?"

Gabriella remained quiet, knowing that she had fought the urge the cut all day. She knew it was wrong, but in the darkness of her hotel room, that was all she could think about.'

"It's okay if it doesn't," Dr. Gibson said softly, causing her to look up. She offered a small smile as she lowered her clipboard on her lap and picked up a paper bag that had been placed on the floor. "Getting you to stop cutting is something we can work on at our sessions."

"Our sessions?"

"Yes, ma'am. Don't think that just because I'm discharging you from here, that you won't be seeing me anymore. Starting tomorrow, you'll see me twice a week for two weeks to see how you're adjusting to your medication. After that, you'll only need me once a month."

"What medication?"

"Considering where you are with your depression, counseling alone may not be enough. Starting an anti-depressant doesn't mean you'll be on it forever. It's not permanent and you may be on it for only a year. It all depends on you."

Gabriella gave a small nod as she accepted the paper bag the doctor had extended towards her. She took a peak inside and noted two small boxes.

"The medication is called Effexor and it basically works by help balancing the serotonin in your brain, which is what is responsible for your mood. I gave you a 7-day bottle of 37.5 milligram and 75 milligram. Take the 37.5 milligram capsules once a day for one week before beginning the 75 milligram capsules. That should help reduce side-effects."

"What sort of side-effects should I expect?"

"Some of the common ones are loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue,and headaches. It should subside after these first two weeks."

She nodded again, not able to take gaze off the bag in her hands.

"If you feel your mood worsening in an way, including returning thoughts of suicide, you have to call my office immediately or go to the ER, Gabriella, I need you to look at me and tell me that you understand."

Dropping the bag in her lap, she looked up to meet the doctor's gaze. "I understand," she said with a shaky breath.

"One last thing before I let you go," Dr. Gibson said as she pulled a notebook from her purse. She handed the softbound notebook with a marbled cover to the brunette. "I want you to write down your thoughts everyday. You don't have to write about your whole day, just things that stood out to you You can pretend it's a letter to an old friend or go with the whole "Dear Diary" thing."

"Will you read it?"

"Not unless you want me to," she said with a small smile, seeing the apprehension on the young girls face. "But I do ask that you date it and I'll just glance to make sure you're doing it everyday. If there's anything I've learned in the past 24-hours, it's that you like to hold things in. That's something we're also going to work on."

Gabriella clutched the notebook to her chest as she thought how different her life would be, not only with the medication and the doctor visits, but also with her mother. She felt the exhausting hit her body as she realized that it would be anything but easy. But somehow, she managed to feel excited for the unspoken promises of happiness.

"Do you have any questions, Gabriella?"

She shook her head as she followed the doctor's lead and stood up.

"Okay, then I'll let your nurse know that you're free to go. I'll also have her bring you a bottle of water so you can take your first dose tonight. Try to take the medication at the same time every day so if you want to wait till bedtime or even tomorrow, it's whatever is easier for you."

"Thank you, Dr. Gibson."

"My pleasure," she said with a small smile as they walked her to the door. "Enjoy the rest of you evening."

"Thank you, we'll see you tomorrow." Troy said as he wrapped his arms behind the brunette from behind.

"We?" she asked, turning her head slightly to see him.

"Only if you want me there."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," she said as she turned around in his arms and locked her hands behind his neck. "Thank you, again."

"Anything for you," he muttered, hesitating for only a second before swooping down to capture her lips in a chaste kiss.

It was a simple kiss, but in those few seconds of bliss, she felt the anxieties of her changing present disappear.

-TWLOHA-

"So, do you want to tell me what that was all about?" she asked as she popped a fry into her mouth.

"You don't put fries in your burgers?" he shot back with an innocent grin.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at him and took a sip of her milkshake, not at all amused with his answer. They were enjoying the spring breeze as they sat in the bed of his over her shoulder, she glanced back at her house, looking for any signs of her mother through the kitchen window. Seeing no movement, she turned to the blu-eyed boy sitting opposite of her.

"You're really not going to tell me?" she pressed as she leaned back against the walls of the truck.

"Well, we were going to eat at the dinner but as soon as you saw Sharpay, you ran in the opposite direction."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did. You grabbed our food and when you were looking for an empty table, I pointed out Sharpay. You totally freaked out on me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said just before taking a large bite of his burger.

She threw a french fry at him, earning a mumbled response. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Troy Alexander."

He made a big show of swallowing his food before leaning forward to try and steal her milkshake. Seeing this, she picked it up first and brought the straw to her lips.

"I'll only give it to you if you tell me what happened," she said sternly before taking a long sip. "I'd hurry if I were you because I probably could finish this in the next 10 minutes."

"Fine," he said as he slumped back to his side of the truck and picked up his burger. "Sharpay and I got into a fight yesterday."

'About what?"

"A few different things."

"Such as?"

"About you and me and her," he muttered the last bit to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

A look of confusion washed over her face before she finally formed an 'o' with her mouth. She knew exactly what he was talking about. "I'm a terrible friend, aren't I?" she finally asked as she remembered the day Sharpay had told her about the feelings she secretly harbored.

"What?" he said, his head snapping up. "No!"

"Not only did I lie to her about not liking you, but I went after you with the knowledge that she liked you."

"First of all," he began as he crawled the small distance to sit beside her, "I was the was chasing you."

"True, but-"

"No but's!" he said firmly as he entwined their hands. "Besides, even if I never met you, I wouldn't be with Sharpay. I never saw her in that light."

"Wasn't she your first kiss?"

"Yes, but that was we were 13! Honestly, it was awkward and I wish that I could take it back."

"So no feelings at all for her?" she pressed as she looked down. "Because she is pretty and smart and popular and thin and-"

"And she's nothing compared to you," he said as he kissed the back of her hand."You are most definitely the girl of my dreams."

"The girl of your dreams is utterly depressed with a dysfunctional family?"

"That's just a minor roadblock, Gabriella. You are way more than that. There's just something about you that I can't get enough of."

"The drama?"

"I'm being serious."

"So am I," she said as she swallowed what was left of her pride and finally looked up at him. "You could have Miss Perfect and here you are with me."

"And who said I want perfection?" he shot back as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "One thing I had to accept when I was going through treatment was that perfection didn't exist and not to beat myself up over something that couldn't be obtained."

"I don't know, you seem pretty perfect to me."

"That's because you haven't seen me at my worst yet."

"I want be there for you if that happens. Just like you were and still are here for me."

"I'll hold you to that," he said with small smile before bending down to press a kiss to her lips. "C'mon, I better get you inside before your mother comes looking for us."

She nodded as began to collect their trash into one of the empty paper bags. Allowing him to help her up, they stood up on the bed of the truck and jumped the short distance to the ground. Ever the gentleman, she watched as he went to the passenger side of his truck to pull out her duffle bag from the hospital. She had tried to take the bag from him, but he simply refused to let her carry it. Giving him a quick kiss, she thanked him as she slipped the her house keys from the front pocket of her bag.

"I'll go ahead and drop this off in your room."

Before she could even stop him, he was already halfway up the stairs. Shaking her head at him, she followed the sounds of pots clashing in the kitchen. "Mom, I'm home," she called out, knowing that her mom mostly likely didn't hear the door open.

"No, not mom."

She froze mid step in the walkway of the kitchen as that voice registered in her head. Leaning agains the counter by stove was a middle-aged man with curly brown hair and matching dark eyes.

"Hi princess."

There was a tightening in her chest and she could feel a lump forming in her throat as she watched him step closer to her. "Dad?" she finally managed to get out.

"I came as soon as I could," he said as he wrapped his arms around her stiff frame. "Your mother called me just last night."

There were so many thoughts running through her head, but she couldn't find her voice.

"You look like skin and bones," he commented as he pulled away, but not before dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll make you my special lo-mein. You loved that when you were a kid."

The pain in her chest worsened and she could feel the warmth flood to her eyes. She tried to focus on anything other than that feeling, but couldn't. Faintly, she heard her name being called.

"I hope you don't mind, but I grabbed your medicine from your duffel," Troy said as he walked into the kitchen, his attention mostly on opening the box of medicine in his hands. "I thought I'd bring it down since you didn't take it at the hospital."

"This must be Troy," her father said, startling her and the blue-eyed boy.

His head snapped us as he heard his name. It took him only a second to take in the man's dark deatures and business suite before deciding that there was something familiar about him. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, have we me-"

"We haven't but I've heard a lot about you," he said as he stuck out his right hand towards the teenager. "I'm Gabriella's father."

"Mr. Montez, it's a pleasure to meet you," Troy said as he bit back his shock and shook the man's hand.

"It's Rodriguez, actually," he corrected with a small smile. "Gabriella has her mother's maiden name. But please call me Tony."

"Sir, I could-"

Gabriella watched for a minute as her gaze switched between her father and Troy. Placing a hand on her still aching chest, she took a deep breath and took a step back. "I can't do this!"

Seeing the tears forming in the young girl's eyes, Troy took a step forward and began to rub circles on her back. "Calm down, Gabs. Tell me what's wrong."

"Princess," her father began in a gentle voice. "I didn't mean to upset you by coming here."

"I'm sorry, but what did you expect," she said through her tears. "I can't handle you just showing up here after not seeing you for four years."

"I'm the one that should be sorry, Gabriella," he said as he pulled her into another hug. "I haven't been the best father to you and look where we all ended up."

She tried to get her body to relax in her father's embrace, but she couldn't so she stayed quiet as she felt him rub her back.

"Why don't you go upstairs and lie down? Your mother mentioned you were exhausted from last night."

She nodded and pulled away from him, not seeing the hurt that flashed in his brown eyes. Turning to Troy, she latched on to his arm and forced him to walk out with her. She felt him pull his arm out of her grip, only to wrap it around her shoulders, allowing her to fully sink into his side.

"I'll be here when you wake up," her father called from behind their retreating forms. "And the day after that. I'm not leaving until I know you're okay."

She felt the hot tears run down her cheeks once more and she isn't sure that they ever stopped in the first place. Allowing Troy to open her bedroom door, she guided them to sit on her bed. She turned to face him and wiped furiously at her tears.

"The last time I saw him," she said finally, " was Christmas four years ago. Their divorce was being finalized and I had to spend Christmas Eve with him and his pregnant fiancee."

"Four years ago? Wasn't that around the time you started cutting?"

"Yup," she said, accentuating the 'p' sound. "He moved to a different city and is married with kids that carry his last name. I get a Christmas card and birthday card every year, but from the handwriting, I know that he's never the one that writes the messages."

"What an ass," he said, earning a small smile. "It took almost loosing you to make him realize what an amazing daughter he is missing out on. But remember, that guilt is something he's going to have live with for the rest of his life."

"I guess."

"Him being here right now means that he wants to make it up to you. At least let him try, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good," he said as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead and then her lips. "I got to get going before it gets any later. Are you going to be alright if I leave?

She made a sound of agreement as she followed his lead to stand. Almost instantly, she wrapped her arms around his midsection and felt his arms encase her.

"I'll call you when I get home," he said as he kissed the top of her head. Reluctantly, he pulled away and placed her medication in her hands. "Don't forget to take this before you sleep. Do you want me to run downstairs to get you some water."

"No thank you, I threw the bottle of water from the hospital in to my duffle bag."

"Okay, bye beautiful." he said as he gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. His lips lingered longer that they should have and when he pulled away, he saw that her eyes were still closed and her lips still slightly puckered.

When Gabriella opened her eyes, she smiled before leaning up to give him a quick peck before walking him to her bedroom door. She watched him walk down the hall, glancing back at her only once give her one last smile. She closed her bedroom door as she saw him disappear down the flight of stairs. Leaning against her door, she finally took the chance to notice that her room seemed cleaner than when she had left the previously. She knew she had her mother to thank for that. Walking to her duffel bag at the foot of her bed, she shook the medication in her hand and made quick wok of taking out the small bottle from its carton. She read the label of the medication before placing it beside her duffel bag so that her hands were free to search for the water.

Not a minute later, her hands wrapped around the plastic bottle and so she plopped down on her bed. Picking up the medication bottle once more, she untwisted the cap and broke the foil seal. She tipped the bottle into her cupped hand, tapping it just enough for a single capsule to fall out. Without a second thought, she popped it into her mouth and swapped out the medication bottle for her water. She took a big gulp of water, feeling the pill slide down her throat. Taking another sip of water, she re-capped both bottles and reached over to place them on her nightstand. While she was there, she blindly searched for a pen in the drawer. Having found one, she crawled back to her place by the duffle bag.

Rummaging through the bag once more, she pulled out the notebook Dr. Gibson had given her earlier. She flipped through it, double-checking that it was indeed empty. Opening it back to the first page, she wrote the date in the top corner.

_Dear Diary._ She began, but crossed it out a second later. She began to chew on the end of her pen as she thought of what and how she was going to write in the journal. A small laugh slipped her lips as she realized that she nearly chewed the butt of the pen off completely. That's when it hit her.

_Dear Luc._ She wrote and the words flowed from there.

Luc, or Lucia, was her best friend from middle school. She was a little on the quiet, a lot more like how Gabriella was now. But somehow, their friendship worked and they told each other everything. Gabriela smiled sadly to herself as she remembered the long talk they had when she confessed that she had started cutting. But Luc hadn't scolded her and she was there for her every day until they separated for high school and lost touch. Luc was also the only other person Gabriella knew that chewed the ends of her pens.

As she wrote the letter to her lost friend, she found the words to express everything that had been running through her mind in the last few days. Every unspoken thought was now on the paper before her and that weight in her chest seemed to have been lifted.

Two pages in, she paused for a minute and read her words from the start. The words were purely her thoughts and although Luc or her therapist or even Troy would never read them, she felt better knowing that they were at least out of her head.

These thoughts and emotions were all hers and they were real. She realized emotions couldn't and shouldn't be turned off and that she would have to deal with the happiness, anger, guilt and any combination in between.

She looked down at her wrist, remembering the pain that caused each scar. Tracing over the L-word carved into her skin, she also remembers the other L-word that had been written on her skin.

_Love._ She thought to herself as she wrote it on another part of her marred forearm. Despite everything, she smiled to herself as realized that's the only thing that amongst the scars on her skin, that was the only that truly belonged.

Love, she now knew, was why she was still around.

Love from a family member, a friend, and most importantly, one's self.

* * *

Hey guys, I'm sorry for the wait. The past few months, I had been fighting my depression and anxiety and after 4 weeks of some sort-of intense treatment, I'm starting to feel like myself again. This chapter concludes the end of this extremely emotional and personal story for me. I do want to write a 1 year epilogue to tie off loose ends, but only if 1) you guys would want to read that and 2) don't mind waiting a month. My cousins from the Philippines arrived yesterday and will only be here a month. Between them and wrapping up my school semester, I won't have much time to write.

I hope you guys enjoyed this, I am actually quite satisfied with it. And now I have about 5 hours before I have to get up for work. Take care and till next time!

Thank you so much for going on this journey with me.

Much Love,

Kae xx

To Jenny: First of all, congratulation on graduating! That's so exciting that you'll be starting high school soon! Best of luck and thank you for all your support with this story. TWLOHA is an acronym for this story, and it's also a non-profit organization that offers hope to people stuggling with depression, self-injury, addiction and much more. Take care and again, thank you.


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